Go Back
+ servings
Print Recipe
4.75 from 8 votes

Gingerbread Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream

Gingerbread Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream is a moist cake full of flavors from molasses, ginger, and cinnamon and topped with a salted caramel buttercream frosting.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Gingerbread Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream
Servings: 9
Calories: 773kcal
Author: Amanda Rettke--iambaker.net

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

  • 9 tablespoons (127.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • cup (67 g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (253 g) molasses, unsulphured
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup (177 g) water, room temperature

Caramel Sauce

  • 1 bag (11 ounces) caramel bits
  • ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

Salted Caramel Buttercream

  • 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups (500 g) confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk, room temperature

Instructions

Gingerbread Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the molasses and egg. Beat until smooth.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Add about ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing until just combined (don't overmix). Add half the water, followed by another third of the dry ingredients. Pour in the remaining water and add the final third of the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
  • Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake 45-50 minutes. (Check the cake after about 30 minutes; cover with aluminum foil if the edges are getting too dark.) The cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter. Remove from the oven and let cool as you make the Salted Caramel Buttercream.

Caramel Sauce

  • Melt the caramels, butter, and milk in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting. Set aside.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

  • Combine the butter, sugar, salt, and caramel sauce in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (You can reserve some of the caramel sauce to use as a caramel drizzle.)
  • Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
  • Spread the buttercream over the cooled gingerbread cake.
  • Store unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container and bring it back to room temperature before using it to pipe or frost.

Nutrition

Calories: 773kcal