Gingerbread Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Gingerbread Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is your holiday showstopper! This cozy dessert recipe from our friends at US Dairy combines ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove with the deep richness of molasses, creating a gingerbread cake that’s as fragrant as it is flavorful. Click here for a printable recipe.

Gingerbread Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for coating cake pans*
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3 large eggs, room temperature*
• 3/4 cup whole milk*

Frosting ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter*
• 1 block cream cheese, room temperature*
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Garnish ingredients

• 3/4 cup water
• 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 6-8 sprigs rosemary, cut into 4-6 inch pieces

* Items that can be purchased at Hansen’s Dairy stores

Cake directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper rounds.
• Whisk flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, clove and baking soda together in a large bowl until combined.
• With a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in molasses until combined.
• With the mixer running, beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.
• With the mixer running, beat in flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the milk until everything is well-incorporated and batter is smooth.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting directions

• Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until butter is frothy, deep golden-brown and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer butter to a heat-safe bowl and refrigerate until butter has hardened, about 15 minutes.
• With a mixer, beat cream cheese and brown butter on low speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until combined and smooth.
• Add sugar, salt and vanilla and beat until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Assembly

• Once cakes have cooled, create a flat cake surface by removing a 1/4-inch from the crown of the cake.
• Transfer one cake to a cake stand. Using a spatula, spread 1 1/2 to 2 cups of frosting evenly over the top and to the edge of the cake.
• Place the remaining cake layer on top, pressing gently to adhere. Spread remaining icing on top of cake.

Garnishes

• Bring water and 3/4 cup sugar to a boil in small saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in cranberries and rosemary sprigs. Let sit until syrup cools completely, about 30 minutes.
• Place remaining sugar in a small bowl. Pat cranberries and rosemary dry with a paper towel. Coat cranberries and rosemary in sugar.
• Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Let sit at room temperature until cranberries and rosemary are dry.
• Stick rosemary sprigs decoratively into the top of the cake to resemble trees. Garnish with cranberries. Slice and serve.