Spiced Molasses Layer Cake with Eggnog Buttercream
The ultimate recipe for your list of holiday desserts. This data-perfected gingerbread cake balances deep, warm spices like cloves and ginger with a velvety, rich eggnog buttercream. It offers a nostalgic flavour profile with a scientifically moist crumb that stays fresh for days.
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer With paddle and whisk attachments
- 2 9-Inch Cake Pans Round
- 1 Fine-mesh sieve For sifting dry ingredients
- 1 Spatula Rubber or silicone
- 1 Cooling rack Wire
- 1 Parchment paper To line pans
Ingredients
- Here are the ingredients extracted directly from the blog post text formatted for the WP Recipe Maker ingredients field (Amount . Unit . Name . Notes).
- Spiced Molasses Cake
- 3 . Cups . All-Purpose Flour .
- 1.5 . Teaspoons . Baking Soda .
- 2 . Teaspoons . Ground Ginger .
- 2 . Teaspoons . Ground Cinnamon .
- 0.5 . Teaspoon . Ground Cloves .
- 0.25 . Teaspoon . Nutmeg .
- 0.75 . Cup . Unsalted Butter . Room Temp
- 0.5 . Cup . Granulated Sugar .
- 0.5 . Cup . Dark Brown Sugar .
- 1 . Cup . Mild Molasses . Unsulphured Grandma’s brand
- 1 . Cup . Hot Water .
- 1 . Large . Egg .
- Eggnog Buttercream
- 1 . Cup . Unsalted Butter . Softened
- 4 . Cups . Confectioners' Sugar .
- 0.25 . Cup . Premium Eggnog . Full-fat
- 1 . Teaspoon . Vanilla Bean Paste .
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Dry Mix: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk to combine evenly.
- Cream Butter: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter (3/4 cup), granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Beat in the egg.
- Emulsify: Lower the mixer speed. Slowly stream in the molasses. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the hot water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until combined.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached (not wet batter).
- Cool: Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whip Frosting: Clean the mixer bowl. Whip the frosting butter (1 cup) until almost white. Gradually add powdered sugar. Pour in eggnog and vanilla. Whip on high for 3 minutes until stiff and fluffy.
- Assemble: Frost the top of one layer, place the second layer on top, and frost the exterior. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Notes
- Room Temperature: It is crucial that your butter and egg are at room temperature to prevent the batter from curdling.
- Make Ahead: The cake layers can be baked 2 days in advance and stored at room temperature (wrapped tightly). They often taste better on day 2 as spices meld.
- Substitutions: If you dislike eggnog, substitute with heavy cream and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon for the frosting.
- Storage: Store the frosted cake under a cake dome for up to 3 days at room temperature. Refrigerate if keeping longer than 3 days.