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+ servings
square piece cut and pulled away from sheet cake on parchment paper with cookies on top and around, white sprinkles, and a pine branch

Gingerbread Sheet Cake with Spiced Molasses Buttercream

5 from 3 votes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Author: Traci
This Gingerbread Sheet Cake with Spiced Molasses Frosting is perfectly spiced, moist, sweet, and just melt-in-your-mouth-delicious! It's the perfect easy cake to bake for a busy holiday season...or just when you want a really simple Christmas cake!

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ⅔ teaspoon baking powder
  • 5 ¾ teaspoons gingerbread spice
  • 9 ½ Tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

Frosting

  • ¾ cup salted butter room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses
  • ½ teaspoon gingerbread spice

Instructions

Cake

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spray an 8-inch square pan with baking spray. Set aside.
  • Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and gingerbread spice. Set aside.
  • With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Stir in molasses.
  • Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  • Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Frosting

  • Beat butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Mix in gingerbread spice and molasses.
  • Spread frosting on top of cooled cake.

Notes

  • Don't forget to pre-heat the oven!
  • Check the expiration dates on all your ingredients.
  • Make sure the butter, eggs, and buttermilk are room temperature before mixing the cake.
  • Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately. This yields in a much better cake.
  • Don't over-mix the cake batter.
  • If the cake sinks in the middle, this can be caused by a number of things. The best way to avoid it is by placing a heating-rod in the middle of the pan before adding the batter.
  • If your frosting is a little too thick, add a splash of whole milk or heavy cream to loosen it.
  • Baking times may vary based on your oven. Use a cake tester or toothpick to see if the cake is done.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 561kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 5gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 420mgPotassium: 398mgFiber: 1gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 933IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 143mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.