Add this beautiful, spiced, festive easy gingerbread bundt cake recipe to your dessert menu this Christmas! This cake is packed with warming, aromatic flavors, drizzled in cream cheese and topped with sugared cranberries to add a sweet, tart flavor to every bite.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/4 cup sugar and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add cranberries to pot and stir until cranberries are fully coated. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cranberries to a wire rack to dry for 1 hour. Once dry and sticky, roll cranberries in remaining sugar. Let dry for another hour.
Gingerbread Cake
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt cake pan (or use my magic cake pan release). Set pan aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add molasses and mix until combined. With the mixer running, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the bowl. Add a third of the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix just until combined. Repeat again, then end with remaining flour mixture.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Tap the pan on the countertop to remove any bubbles. Bake cake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream cheese frosting
For the frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Add milk if necessary for thinner consistency to pour on cake.
Pour frosting on cake and garnish with sugared cranberries. Slice and serve.
Notes
Buttermilk substitute: Make your own by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup (1 cup) then fill the rest of the cup with milk. Stir the mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes before using it in the recipe.Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.Freeze bundt cake for up to 1 month. Cool the cake completely and wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.High altitude adjustments: This recipe was written for sea level. If you live at an altitude similar to Denver, CO, use these adjustments. Decrease baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon. Decrease brown sugar to 1 cup. Add an extra tablespoon of buttermilk. Baking times and temperatures may vary.