Holiday Gingerbread Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Get into the holiday spirit with this gingerbread snack cake! It’s super easy to make and packed with warm, seasonal spices. It basically screams Christmas.

half eaten slice of gingerbread snack cake with whole star anise on plate

What’s In It?

Gingerbread Snack Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (127g)
  • 2 teaspoons gingerbread spice
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons brown sugar packed (175g)
  • 2 tablespoons unsulphered molasses (43g)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
  • ½ cup water (113g)
  • ¼ cup buttermilk (57g)
  • 1 egg (50g)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ½ cup cream cheese softened (113g)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter softened (70g)
  • 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
  • 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted (199g)
slice of gingerbread snack cake with the pan in the background and cinnamon sticks on the plate

How To Make It

Gingerbread Snack Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a square baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, gingerbread spice, salt, and brown sugar. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan combine the butter, water, and molasses over medium heat. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat and pour into the flour mixture followed by the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by mixing together the softened cream cheese and vanilla bean seeds with a handheld mixer. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until fluffy.
  • Pipe or spread onto the cooled gingerbread cake and enjoy!
slice of gingerbread snack cake with cream cheese frosting
slice of gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting

Gingerbread Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This one-bowl gingerbread snack topped with cream cheese frosting is super easy and filled with warm spices, perfect for the holidays!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 9 slices

Ingredients
  

Gingerbread Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (127g)
  • 2 teaspoons gingerbread spice
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons brown sugar packed (175g)
  • 2 tablespoons unsulphered molasses (43g)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
  • ½ cup water (113g)
  • ¼ cup buttermilk (57g)
  • 1 egg (50g)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ½ cup cream cheese softened (113g)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter softened (70g)
  • 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
  • 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted (199g)

Instructions
 

Gingerbread Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a square baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, gingerbread spice, salt, and brown sugar. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan combine the butter, water, and molasses over medium heat. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat and pour into the flour mixture followed by the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by mixing together the softened cream cheese and vanilla bean seeds with a handheld mixer. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until fluffy.
  • Pipe or spread onto the cooled gingerbread cake and enjoy!

Notes

¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract can be substituted for the vanilla bean in the cream cheese frosting