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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Gingerbread Molasses Layer Cake with Vanilla Filling

Dark, moist molasses layers warm with ginger, cinnamon and cloves, sandwiched and topped with a silky whipped vanilla filling.

Gingerbread Molasses Layer Cake with Vanilla Filling

Ingredients

  • 2⅓ cups300 gAll-purpose flour
  • 1½ tbsp8 gGround ginger
  • 2 tsp5 gGround cinnamon
  • ½ tsp1 gGround cloves
  • ½ tsp1 gGround nutmeg
  • 1¼ tsp6 gBaking soda
  • ¾ tsp4 gBaking powder
  • ¾ tsp4 gSalt
  • ¾ cup170 gUnsalted buttermelted and slightly cooled, plus a little for the pans
  • ⅔ cup packed150 gBrown sugarpacked
  • ½ cup170 gMolasses
  • 2 large100 gEggsroom temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml)240 gButtermilk, low-fatroom temperature
  • ½ cup120 gWaterhot
  • 1½ cups (350 ml)360 gHeavy creamcold
  • ½ cup115 gCream cheesesoftened
  • ¾ cup90 gPowdered sugar
  • 2 tsp8 gVanilla extract

Steps

  1. Set the cream cheese out to soften and bring the eggs and buttermilk to room temperature. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly, saving a little for greasing.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round pans with a little of the melted butter and line the bottoms with parchment.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining melted butter, brown sugar and molasses until glossy, then whisk in the eggs one at a time.
  5. Whisk the buttermilk into the molasses mixture, then stir in the flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain. Gently whisk in the hot water to make a thin, smooth batter.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, half in each. Bake 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool the layers in their pans 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
  8. For the vanilla filling, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the cold heavy cream and whip to firm peaks, about 3 minutes.
  9. Set one layer on a plate and spread half the vanilla filling over it. Top with the second layer and spread the remaining half of the vanilla filling over the top, swirling it.
  10. Chill the cake 30 minutes to set the vanilla filling, then cut into 12 slices. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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