Gingerbread Bundt Cake + White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Gingerbread Bundt Cake is an old fashioned gingerbread recipe you’ll make again and again over the holidays. It’s sweet and spicy and will make your house smell amazing. The White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting turns this classic favorite into a centerpiece-worthy dessert. 

You’re going to love this

Old fashioned gingerbread--made new again. This recipe was adapted from my Swedish great-great-grandmother’s recipe, which, for some reason, always came out dry when I made it. So I tweaked the recipe a bit, but kept all the traditional flavors — and added a few of my own. 

One-bowl cake recipe. You just need one bowl to mix up this easy gingerbread bundt cake. Easy, right? 

Big, warm flavors. The original recipe had the typical gingerbread ingredients like molasses, cinnamon, and ginger. I stepped it up with some cloves, a pinch of black pepper, and coffee instead of water. The result is even deeper, richer flavor that feels super cozy and homey. 

Pretty holiday dessert. I don’t think any of my grandmothers ever made their gingerbread in a bundt pan. It was usually in a 9x13 pan. Baking a cake in a bundt pan turns this simple gingerbread into a holiday table centerpiece. 

White chocolate cream cheese frosting. White chocolate cream cheese frosting adds a sweet tanginess that complements the spices and makes this an extra special dessert for the holidays. And white chocolate shards add even more wow factor, dimension, and a little crunch. Although, a dollop of whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, or even just a smear of butter is also delicious on this gingerbread. 

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Brown sugar. The original recipe used all white sugar. I replaced it with brown sugar to add even more molasses flavor. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can make your own substitution by mixing together one cup of white sugar with one tablespoon of molasses or maple syrup. 

Eggs. Use room temperature eggs in this recipe. This will allow the ingredients to thoroughly blend together, keep the cold eggs from turning the softened butter hard, and ensure the best texture for your gingerbread. 

Molasses. I use Grandma’s Original Molasses, which is the mildest version, but still very potent. Original, regular, or mild molasses is the most common type used in gingerbreads, cakes, pies, and cookies. Robust molasses is darker, thicker, and has a more intense flavor. It’s also less sweet, so it’s often used in barbecue sauces and baked beans. 

Gingerbread spices. Sure you can buy gingerbread spice mixes, but I just use what I have in my cupboard. In this recipe, it’s 2 teaspoons each of ginger and cinnamon, ½ teaspoon cloves, and a pinch of black pepper. But if you like the flavors of allspice and nutmeg, those are also common spices found in gingerbread spice. 

Butter. My great-great grandmother’s original recipe called for melted shortening. I used softened butter instead. Here’s why. While substituting butter for shortening in cakes typically yields negligible results in terms of texture, color, and rise, the difference is in the flavor.

The reason I used softened butter instead of melted is because melted butter or shortening can create a denser cake.

So if you prefer to use shortening instead of butter, I suggest using softened shortening to create a more tender cake. 

Hot coffee. The old fashioned gingerbread recipe card I was working off of called for boiling water, but I used hot coffee, instead. You can absolutely use plain water instead of coffee. I had some leftover coffee and thought it added even more richness and deep flavor. I also imagined that my Swedish great-great-grandmother probably served coffee with her gingerbread, so the coffee was also a little shout-out to my Swedish coffee-drinking homies :).

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese. Bring your cream cheese to room temperature before making this frosting. That way, when you add the melted white chocolate, the two will meld perfectly together. Otherwise, cold cream cheese could bring that oozy melty chocolate to a sudden seizing halt. 

White chocolate. I specifically chose Nestle Premier White chocolate chips for this frosting recipe because they were the brightest white chocolate I could find in my local grocery store. Sure, there were loads of fancier chocolate I could have selected, but they had a yellowish tinge to them. Not what I was looking for. White candy melts may also work, but I haven't tried them yet.

Powdered sugar. This recipe uses 1 cup of powdered sugar. If you would like a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar, about ¼ cup at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency. 

Milk. To thin the frosting to a glaze consistency that would slowly ooze down the sides without becoming too drippy, I added 4-5 tablespoons of milk. If you are making a thick frosting, skip the milk. If you are looking for a thinner glaze, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Looking for a Bundt cake pan?

I recently had to replace my pan and I ended up getting one from Nordic Ware. They have gorgeous bundt pans -- and everything they do is made from super thick gauge aluminum. Oh, and they’re also from Minnesota! But there are tons of great options out there.

How to make gingerbread bundt cake

Preheat the oven to 350. 

This is where recipes usually say to spray the bundt pan, but I’m not going to. Not yet. Here’s why. To keep your cake from sticking to the pan, you don’t want the oil to slide down the sides and pool in those little nooks and crannies. That can cause the cake to become too moist and keep it from turning out of the pan. So just hang on a sec.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs. Mix in the molasses. 

• 

• 

• 

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and black pepper together. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the hot coffee into the cake batter.

Mix until just combined and there are no lumps. The batter will be quite loose. 

Now spray your pan. I use the baking spray that has flour in it and spray the pan very liberally to make sure all the nooks and crannies of the pan are coated. Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan.

• 

• 

• 

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or the internal temperature reaches 195-205 degrees. 

Let the cake rest in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

• 

• 

• 

To serve, dust it with powdered sugar, dollop it with whipped cream, or top it with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Make it even fancier with White Chocolate Shards.

How to Make White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

In a medium bowl, whip the cream cheese until it is just soft and fluffy. Be careful not to over beat the cream cheese or the frosting will become too thin. 

Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl on high setting for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to heat in 15-second increments or until all the chips are completely melted and the white chocolate is smooth. 

Add the melted white chocolate to the cream cheese and mix until just combined. 

• 

• 

Gradually add 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until it is just incorporated, then on high until the white chocolate cream cheese frosting is smooth and creamy. 

Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired drizzling consistency. I used 4-5 tablespoons.

• 

• 

Immediately frost or glaze your cake. If you are decorating your cake with white chocolate shards, sprinkles, or any other decorations, add them immediately after frosting.

Depending on how thick you make your glaze is and how much you like on your cake, you may have some left over. If you don't have an immediate use for it, you put it in a zip-top bag and freeze it. It freezes beautifully.

• 

• 

Place the cake in the refrigerator to allow the frosting to set.

To serve room temperature cake, remove the cake from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to serve it. 

Store frosted cakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Hungry for more easy holiday dessert recipes?