When it comes time to celebrate, we know that you’ll love this show-stopping Christmas dessert. As we head into a season full of guests, gatherings and last-minute dinner parties, you’ll definitely need an easy, back-pocket dessert recipe that can be dressed up in an instant – and this gingerbread cake does the trick! An eggnog glaze compliments the festive season while not overpowering the gingerbread spices in the cake. And for a final flourish, add a trim of rosemary, glittery cranberries and fresh flowers, or just let the simple beauty of this intricate Bundt cake shine on its own. Not only does this gingerbread spice cake perfume the entire kitchen, it stays extremely moist for several days, so it’s perfect for baking in advance.
Keep the holiday baking momentum going strong with these incredible cookie recipes from Anna Olson.
ingredients
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Eggnog Glaze
Assembly
directions
Cooling time: 30 minutes
For the gingerbread bundt cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup capacity Bundt pan with butter and coat with a thin layer of flour. Set aside.
For the dry ingredients, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dried ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and hand mixer), add the butter and mix on medium speed for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add the sugar and fresh ginger. Mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 to 4 minutes.
With the mixer on low, add in the oil, then the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, molasses and honey and mix until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low, add half of the reserved dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Next, stream in the buttermilk and mix until combined. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed no more than 30 seconds after the last streaks of flour are combined, or until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom of the pan on the countertop a couple times to release any air pockets. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the batter begins to rise too high, place a baking sheet in the bottom of the pan to catch any drips.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently slide a flexible rubber spatula around the rim of the cake, but resist sliding it too far down or it may damage the sides of the cake. Place a large cutting board or cooling rack on top of the cake. Using oven mitts, hold the cake pan and cutting board together. Carefully invert everything and remove the pan. Cool completely. Do not allow the cake to completely cool in the pan or it may get stuck. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
For the eggnog glaze, in a mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese and butter with a wooden spoon until well combined. Gradually stir in the icing sugar and mix until incorporated.
Add the eggnog, vanilla and nutmeg, and then stir until smooth. The glaze should be rather thick but still able to drip slowly off of a spoon; add more eggnog, as needed, until it does.
To assemble, spoon the glaze over the cooled cake. Decorate with sugared cranberries, rosemary, fresh flowers or as desired. Slice and serve.
