Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

An American-inspired gingerbread sheet cake baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan and finished with cream cheese frosting. The cake is flavored with molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, then cooled fully before frosting so the topping stays smooth and spreadable. It serves neatly in squares and has the deep spice profile associated with late-fall and winter baking.

By Julienne

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 85 g unsalted butter divided: 85 g melted for the cake, 85 g softened for the frosting
• 240 g all-purpose flour sifted
• 5 g baking soda
• 6 g ground ginger
• 4 g ground cinnamon
• 1 g ground cloves
• 3 g fine salt
• 85 g unsalted butter divided: 85 g melted for the cake, 85 g softened for the frosting
• 200 g brown sugar packed
• 170 g molasses
• 2 count large eggs room temperature
• 120 g plain yogurt room temperature
• 120 ml hot water
• 225 g cream cheese softened
• 360 g powdered sugar sifted
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 15 ml milk as needed for frosting consistency
• 1 g ground cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang on the long sides for lifting. In a medium saucepan, melt 85 g of the butter and set it aside to cool slightly. Oven is preheated and the pan is lined; melted butter is ready but not hot.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt until the spices are evenly distributed. Dry ingredients look uniform with no visible spice streaks.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the remaining 85 g butter with the brown sugar and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the yogurt and hot water. The batter base is glossy and evenly combined, with no separate pools of molasses or yogurt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold just until no dry flour remains. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Batter is thick, evenly mixed, and level in the pan.
5. Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out and cool completely on a rack. The cake is domed slightly, set through the center, and fully cool before frosting.
6. For the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese with the remaining 85 g butter until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla, then add the milk only if needed for a spreadable consistency. Frosting is smooth, fluffy, and spreadable without being loose.
7. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake in an even layer. If using the optional garnish, dust the top lightly with cinnamon before slicing into 12 pieces. Frosting covers the cake cleanly and slices hold their shape.