Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This festive gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting is flavored with molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and then topped with a smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table!

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I was invited by Carusele to participate in the #MakeItWithCrisco campaign, sponsored by Crisco®. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.

Process Overview for Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is a fun take on a holiday classic. This Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is reminiscent of the traditional flavors of gingerbread, all wrapped up in a moist and delicious cake!

It starts with preparing your cake pans. Make sure to grease them, then line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy removal and grease once more.

Whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Then, mix together “wet” ingredients – Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with buttermilk.

Divide batter into cake pans and bake. Allow to cool. You may choose to wrap the layers in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. This will result in layers that are easier to manage and decorate.

Prepare the cream cheese frosting by beating together cream cheese and Crisco® All-Vegetable shortening. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk if desired. Spread the frosting evenly between each layer of cake, then on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with your choice of crushed gingersnap cookies, fresh sprigs of rosemary, sugared cranberries, gingerbread cookies or a tiny gingerbread house!

Why use shortening?

If you grew up baking, you grew up with Crisco® in your house! For over 100 years, Crisco has been an essential part of the kitchen and helps improve the quality of your meals. My family has been using Crisco for generations.

Crisco is plant-based and can be used as a substitute for butter in your favorite recipes. It’s a versatile ingredient that adapts to your baking and cooking style. It makes your cakes soft and your frostings fluffy, which is why I love using Crisco in my Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Looking for more cake recipes? Try my Biscoff Cake with Cookie Butter Buttercream!

Storage and freezing instructions

Storage: Store leftover gingerbread cake in an airtight container or tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best flavor and texture, allow slices to sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before serving.

Freezing: You can freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 2–3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before frosting and serving. I recommend making the cream cheese frosting fresh rather than freezing the frosted cake for the best texture.