This gingerbread bundt cake is a rich, deeply spiced cake made with molasses, brown sugar, sour cream, and a full lineup of warm holiday spices, finished with a pourable cream cheese glaze. It is impressive enough for a holiday centerpiece and easier to make than it looks.
The cake bakes in about 50 minutes and needs about an hour to cool before glazing, so plan your timing accordingly. The sour cream in the batter keeps it incredibly moist, and the cream cheese glaze drapes beautifully over the bundt for a classic holiday presentation. It serves 12 to 16 people and is a great make-ahead dessert for Christmas dinner or a holiday party.
If you love gingerbread desserts, try these gingerbread cupcakes with eggnog frosting for individual servings, or browse these Christmas party foods for more holiday entertaining ideas.
If you are hosting a Christmas or gingerbread-themed party, the Gingerbread Heist Escape Room is a fun printable puzzle game for kids with 10 challenges and a secret code to crack - perfect to set up while the cake cools.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Water
- Molasses
- Milk
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Cream cheese, softened
- Powdered sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray and lightly flour a standard bundt pan and set aside.
Step one: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream together until smooth.
Step two: Add the eggs, vanilla, and molasses to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
Step three: Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, baking soda, allspice, and cloves. Mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides and mixing again.
Step four: Add the sour cream and milk. Mix until fully combined and smooth.
Step five: Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
Step six: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and carefully shake to release the cake from the pan. Allow to cool completely before glazing - about 1 hour.
Step seven: For the glaze - in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk. Mix on low until combined, then increase to medium and beat until whipped and smooth, scraping the sides often.
Step eight: Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the glaze over the top and allow it to flow naturally down the sides. Slice and serve.
Hint: Grease and flour the bundt pan very thoroughly, making sure to get into every groove - this is the most important step for a clean release.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Let the molasses mixture cool for the full 10 minutes before adding the eggs - adding eggs to hot batter will cook them and ruin the texture of the cake.
- Do not skip scraping the sides of the bowl when making both the batter and the frosting - the molasses in the batter and the cream cheese in the frosting both tend to stick to the sides and create uneven mixing.
- Use softened cream cheese and butter for the frosting - cold cream cheese will leave lumps that are difficult to smooth out.
- This cake is even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld - make it a day ahead and store covered in the refrigerator.
Storage
Store the gingerbread bundt cake covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cream cheese glaze requires refrigeration. Bring individual slices to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
Complete the Occasion
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup buttered unsalted + softened
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup milk
For the glaze:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon butter softened + unsalted
- 1 cup powdered sugar 2
- 2 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray and lightly flour a standard bundt pan.
- Cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a stand mixer until smooth.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Mix until combined.
- Add flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, baking soda, allspice, and cloves. Mix thoroughly, scraping sides.
- Add sour cream and milk. Mix until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until center is set and toothpick comes out clean.
- * Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and carefully release. Cool completely before glazing, about 1 hour.
- For the glaze: beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk on low until combined, then medium until whipped and smooth.
- Spread glaze over cooled cake and allow it to flow down the sides. Slice and serve.
Notes
Store covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. **Recipe Tips**
* Grease and flour every groove of the bundt pan thoroughly for a clean release.
* Rest cake in pan exactly 10 minutes before inverting.
* Do not substitute sour cream — it is key to the texture.
* Make the day before for better flavor and cleaner slices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
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