Gingerbread Cake with Maple Bourbon Frosting

ByBeth
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Gingerbread Cake with Maple Bourbon Frosting! bethcakes.com
I’ve really been into gingerbread this year. Like, way more than previous years. To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of it, but I think it’s mostly because the only gingerbread cookies I had up until a couple years ago were the extremely hard, crunchy kind. Like, the kind you buy at the store, roll out the dough, cut out the shapes, and then they all spread into each other in the oven. #nailedit

But when they’re crisp enough to keep their shape and are still soft in the middle–that’s where it’s at.

Gingerbread Cake with Maple Bourbon Frosting! bethcakes.com
After realizing that gingerbread isn’t all bad, and that molasses isn’t anywhere near as bad as it smells once you combine it with sugars and spices, I realized I like gingerbread. And I actually like it best beyond the classic cookies–in all different forms! I made this Bourbon Gingerbread Cheesecake last year, as well as these Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies.

There haven’t been very many cakes on bethcakes recently, so I figured it was about time for another one. Plus I feel like show-stopping desserts are always a thing at Christmas. I don’t know that I’d call this one “show-stopping,” but not only did all the flavors of gingerbread transfer over to cake-form deliciously, they’re covered in a silky frosting and tiny gingerbread men!

You can’t tell in the photos of the entire cake, but pretty much everything about it is miniature. The recipe makes enough batter for a regular sized cake, but I found this cute little cake stand at World Market last weekend and was dying to use it. The cake in the photo was made with 6 inch pans, and I also dug up a tiny gingerbread cookie cutter that I thought would be the perfect size for cake decorations. Luckily I also had some of this Brown Butter Maple Gingerbread Cookie dough left in the fridge!

Gingerbread Cake with Maple Bourbon Frosting! bethcakes.com
There is a flavor party going on in this cake, y’all. Like, the cinnamon and ginger are hanging out and belting some Mariah Carey, while the granulated and brown sugars are passing out hors d’oeuvres. The molasses keeps the eggnog coming, and then the maple and bourbon show up fashionably late in their tacky Christmas sweaters. My kind of Christmas party.

Seriously, I almost ate this frosting for dinner it was so good. Definitely save it for the cake, though. 😉

Gingerbread Cake with Maple Bourbon Frosting! bethcakes.com

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4.67 from 3 votes

Gingerbread Cake with Maple Bourbon Frosting

A fun and festive gingerbread flavored cake that's topped with silky maple bourbon frosting.

Ingredients

for the cake
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup milk
for the frosting
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 tbsp bourbon
  • 1 tsp maple extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

cake
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray three 8 inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
  • In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
  • In another bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Next, add the sugars and mix until combined and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well.
  • Then add half of the molasses, milk, and flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Repeat with the second half of the molasses, milk, and flour. Mix well.
  • Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean and the edges have slightly pulled away from the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then let them cool completely on a wire rack.
frosting
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add bourbon, maple extract, and half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until just combined, then medium speed until completely combined. Repeat with the second half of the powdered sugar. If the frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of bourbon.
assemebly
  • After frosting the cake layers, I topped my cake with some whipped cream, sprinkles, and little gingerbread men. You can do this or your own thing! Homemade whipped cream will work the best, and I believe my little cookie cutter came in a set of three from Hobby Lobby.

Notes

Recipe from bethcakes. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
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Beth Branch is the writer and recipe developer behind bethcakes! She recently graduated from the University of Alabama and kind of wishes she was still in college. But she enjoys decorating cakes, eating cake, and dreaming up all kinds of flavor possibilities. Beth is currently trying to expand beyond baking into savory dishes, smoothies, and fruity drinks, but can't make any promises.

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33 Comments

  1. Haha – totally agree on molasses smelling so weird before being baked, and OMG this beauty of this cake! You always have the most adorable, creative cakes and it makes me so jealous! Love this. Pinned.

    Reply

  9. Beth, i’m so glad you realized that you like gingerbread so we could get this cake today!! because I love gingerbread!! this cake looks soooo good. . love the mini gingerbread men and the maple bourbon frosting- yes!! and ha! that Mariah Carey song, All I want for Christmas. . is ALL I hear on the radio but I love it!! happy holidays!

    Reply

  12. I’m so with you – I really didn’t realize how much I actually like gingerbread until this year! Minus those crunchy cookies – those are so not my thing!!

    And this cake looks out of this world!! And so pretty with those little gingerbread men!

    Reply

  18. This cake is stunning, Beth! I love the cute little gingerbread men. I’ve been loving gingerbread this year too and this cake is my favorite I’ve seen so far! That maple bourbon frosting looks incredible!

    Reply

  19. 5 stars
    This is seriously stunning!!! What a beautiful presentation! I am with you on the gingerbread flavor, I am not the biggest fan normally, but when it is done right I really like it!

    Reply

  23. We your readers are getting some wonderful trickle down with your gingerbread obsession. I could easily dollop spoonfuls of frosting into my coffee in the morning. Plus you decorated it absolutely in a darling way.

    Reply

  25. Hi, would I be able to substitute the maple extract for maple syrup? If so, what would the measurement be? Thank you!

    Reply

  26. IVE made many cupcakes and cakes in my day however this one was a bit dissatisfying. Let me first start off saying the flavor is delicious. The problem came as soon as I added 1/2 of the milk, 1/2 or the molasses, and half the flour mix. The batter began to separate. It was very airy as well. Even after I knocked out some air before baking the finish ones product started falling in the middle both times. IT WAS T OVER MIxed. The ingredients were room temp. The oven was never opened to expose it to cold air. Having followed the recipe twice and achieving the exact same result, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe as it’s written because it looks horrible.

    Reply

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