This easy gingerbread sheet cake is a play on the traditional gingerbread cake with lemon sauce! You’ll love this super moist gingerbread sheet cake with the tangy, creamy, lemon cream cheese frosting!
What you’ll love about this cake:
The simplicity: This simple gingerbread sheet cake, is a no frill, no fuss cake. It’s easy to make, doesn’t require much time, and
The Texture: This cake is super moist and tender thanks to the buttermilk. The molasses and brown sugar in this cake make is rich and dense!
The Flavor: This gingerbread sheet cake has the perfect blend of spices—ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give it that perfectly spicy but not overly spiced flavor that is synonymous with gingerbread! The lemon cream cheese frosting on top complements the spicy gingerbread cake without taking away from the flavor.
Baking Essentials
This cake doesn’t take anything fancy to make, but if you want to know some of my favorite baking essentials, here they are!
- A good hand mixer
- A good 9x13 pan
- Rubber scraper
- This cookie scoop (I used to drop frosting on this cake, but this is the one I use for ALL my cookies!)
Making the lemon cream cheese frosting
When you’re making this lemon cream cheese frosting for gingerbread cake it is important to start with your butter and cream cheese and room temperature. This is so they mix together smoothly and have no lumps. This will also make it easier when you add in your other ingredients to keep the frosting silky smooth!
I recommend you also sift your powdered sugar (kind of a pain, I know) to keep it totally lump-free! Then, when you add in your heavy whipping cream, whip it on high for several minutes. This will whip air into the frosting and help lighten it up, so it balances out the heaviness of the frosting and cake!
Buttermilk—What can I substitute?
I always say there is no real substitution for real buttermilk! Real buttermilk will always give you the best results! Buttermilk will help contribute to the tenderness, moisture, and rise of the cake.
That said, if you need a to substitute buttermilk here are a couple substitutions:
- ½ cup Greek yogurt + ¼ cup water, mixed (this is my personal favorite substitution)
- 6 tablespoons (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) plain yogurt + 6 tablespoons water (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons), mixed
- ¾ cup milk + 2 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, mix and let stand 10 minutes
How long will this cake last?
Without frosting—This cake will stay good 2 days at room temperature—make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out!
With frosting—This gingerbread sheet cake is okay for about 6 hours outside of the fridge once it’s frosted. But after that it should be kept refrigerated because of the cream cheese in the frosting. It’s best eaten within 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Keep it covered tightly with plastic wrap!
Enjoy!
Alyssa
If you like this, we know you'll LOVE these recipes!
- Lemon Bars w/ Gingersnap Crust
- Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Ginger Gringles (our favorite gingersnap cookie!)
- Chocolate Orange Truffle Pie w/ Gingersnap Crust
- Cranberry Orange Brown Sugar Cake
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Gingerbread Sheet Cake w/ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Gingerbread Sheet cake
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cup flour measured correctly
- ¾ buttermilk
- 1 cup butter melted and cooled
Lemon Cream Cheese frosting
- 6 ounces ¾ cup cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream cold
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- sprinkle of salt
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
- In a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add in your brown sugar, molasses, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Whip together on high for 6 minutes. Batter should be slightly lighter, thick and smooth.
- Add in your flour, buttermilk, and melted butter. Mix together on low until the mixture is smooth and the ingredients are completely integrated.
- Pour into your prepared 9x13 inch pan and bake for 22-27 minutes, A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean, a few moist crumbs is okay. Cool completely. While cooling, prepare your lemon cream cheese frosting.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream together your room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth and light and fluffy. Then add in lemon zest, salt, and 1 cups of powdered sugar. Mix for 1 minute until smooth.
- Add in remaining powdered sugar and mix together until smooth. Add in your cream and whip on high for 2-3 minutes until your frosting is light and fluffy. .
- Once cake is cool, frost your cake with your lemon cream cheese frosting. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
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