The most festive and impressive cake of the season: Layers of moist, richly spiced gingerbread cake covered in white chocolate & browned butter cream cheese frosting(!) and a thick rum-spiked butterscotch sauce. Plus BONUS chewy gingerbread cookies dipped in white chocolate to finish it off. 
I know, I know, I’m late on this one. But even though Christmas is technically over, according to my calendar, holiday dessert season doesn’t end until January 1 (or later, why not?).
To sum it all up, this cake is EPIC. The gingerbready cake layers, the white chocolate, the browned butter & cream cheese, the rum butterscotch, the cookies, the presentation, the festivity…EPIC. It brings the quintessential, nostalgic qualities of classic gingerbread along with unbelievable new dimensions of flavor. If you want a cake with the “wow” factor that will steal the celebration, this is your star.
There are a number of elements that make this cake really, really special.
The gingerbread cake layers
This gingerbread cake is loaded with warm ginger, spice, and molasses flavor; in texture, it is an ideal balance between soft cake and traditional gingerbread, which is typically denser and chewier. The combo of butter, oil, and sour cream helps to retain lots of moisture, and all brown sugar plus molasses creates the yummy chew.
The white chocolate & browned butter cream cheese frosting
I could dedicate a whole page to this frosting. White chocolate. Browned Butter. Cream Cheese. Buttercream. Just try to imagine the flavor that makes. Except you can’t, because it’s beyond imagination, out-of-this-world delicious. The idea comes from an episode of Holiday Baking Championship when one of the bakers made a “browned butter cream cheese frosting” that blew all the judges away. Honestly, I’m surprised this isn’t a more common thing.
- Just brown about 2/3 of the butter for your buttercream; once it cools, it functions just like softened butter, but with the deep, warm, caramely, toasty nuttiness of browned butter.
- The cream cheese gives it a hint of tang and extra creaminess.
- And the melted white chocolate adds incredible smoothness and richness to the taste and consistency.
The result is intensely flavorful without being overly sweet, which is a true feat in the world of cake frosting if you ask me.
The rum butterscotch
This rum butterscotch sauce is outrageous. I would put it on everything if I could. Butterscotch is similar to caramel, except butterscotch is made with dark brown sugar instead of white sugar, giving it a deeper, richer, molassesy flavor. It also happens to be way easier to make than caramel. It’s just butter, dark brown sugar, heavy cream, and sea salt boiled together on the stove with alcohol and/or vanilla added at the end. No burning sugar, no candy thermometer, no hot butter splashing across the room…
In this version, I add vanilla and a heavy splash of rum at the end. You can reduce the amount of rum if it seems too strong; but, when married with the spicy gingerbread and nutty browned butter frosting, that little kick goes so far in enhancing the flavor of the cake.
The butterscotch sauce is used as a filling between layers (so you get all the deliciousness in every single bite), AND it makes a gorgeous golden drip for the top and sides.
The chewy gingerbread cookies
BONUS! These are certainly not required to make a marvelous cake, but I can’t think of a good reason to leave them out. This is an easy recipe that plays the balance between a super soft and chewy molasses cookie and a cut-out gingerbread cookie that holds its shape. It’s a rare combination that achieves BOTH the soft, chewy texture AND the cute decorative shapes. They are perfect for garnishing the cake, and they add even another dimension of texture. I finished them with a simple coat of melted white chocolate; but if you’re more artistically inclined, go for your best royal icing designs.
Gingerbread Cake with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and Rum Butterscotch
The most festive and impressive cake of the season: Layers of moist, richly spiced gingerbread cake covered in white chocolate & browned butter cream cheese frosting(!) and a thick rum-spiked butterscotch sauce. Plus bonus chewy gingerbread cookies dipped in white chocolate to finish it off.
Notes
This recipe is written for a small, 6-inch, triple-layer cake. To scale it up for three 8-inch cakes, simply double the cake recipe and add about 5 minutes to the baking time.
The gingerbread cake layers are inspired by the gingerbread cake from Sugar Spun Run.
The frosting makes just enough for covering each layer of the 6-inch cake. For extra frosting or a larger cake, double the recipe. Because this frosting contains cream cheese, the cake should be stored in the fridge if not eaten within a few hours at room temperature. This cake is much better eaten at room temperature, so if making in advance, set it out for a couple hours to bring it back to room temperature before serving.
The rum butterscotch is adapted from my salted butterscotch recipe, with rum in place of bourbon. It can be made in advance and stored in the fridge, then gently warmed again when ready to use. Double the butterscotch recipe for leftover sauce to serve on ice cream, other cakes, pies, pastries, oatmeal, etc.
The cut-out gingerbread cookies are completely optional!
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cake layers:
- 160g (1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (such as almond or vegetable oil)
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp unsulphured molasses (preferably not blackstrap)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp rum
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 3 Tbsp very hot water
For the frosting (small-batch):
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, browned and cooled until firm
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, slightly softened but cold
- 3 oz high-quality white chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
For the butterscotch sauce (small-batch):
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp rum (to taste)
For the gingerbread cookies (OPTIONAL):
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses (preferably not blackstrap)
- 1 small or 1/2 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup chopped white chocolate, melted
Instructions
For the gingerbread cake layers:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray 3 6-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
- To a separate, large mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer) or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and brown sugar. Cream together for 1-2 minutes, then mix in the oil and molasses until smooth.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla, and rum. Mix until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Alternate incorporating the dry ingredients and the sour cream until all is combined.
- Finally, gradually pour in the hot water while stirring the batter until it is fully combined and the batter is uniform. (Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.)
- Evenly divide the batter between the 3 prepared 6" cake pans. (Use a kitchen scale to ensure the same amount of batter in each pan.)
- Bake the cakes at 350º for 19-20 minutes (see note for larger cakes), or until centers are set, cake lightly springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs.
- Allow cakes to cool the pans for 10-15 minutes, then carefully run a knife around the edges and inverting onto a cooling rack. Make sure the cakes are COMPLETELY cooled before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Make the browned butter: Add 1 stick unsalted butter to a small saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat, then bring to a light boil and cook 3-4 minutes, until toasty browned bits form on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Transfer browned butter to a heat-proof container (making sure to include the browned bits at the bottom). Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until it has firmed up to the consistency of softened butter.
- Add the chopped white chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave about 30 seconds, or until melted (adding 10-second intervals as needed). Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to slightly warmer than room temperature (just warm enough to stay melted).
- Add the softened butter + cooled browned butter to a large mixing bowl. Whip the butter using an electric mixer until it is pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the cold cream cheese and mix until combined.
- Gradually add in the cooled, melted white chocolate. (It should still be liquid but cooled nearly to room temperature.) Mix until fluffy, then mix in vanilla.
- Sift in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the milk or cream and continue mixing until smooth.
- Finish by stirring by hand a few times to release air pockets.
For the butterscotch sauce:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until fully blended. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the pan.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, then stir in the vanilla and rum. (It should still be liquidy). Transfer to a heat-proof container to cool to room temperature. (It will thicken as it cools.)
- If not using immediately, store covered in the refrigerator. Microwave a few seconds and stir to bring to room temperature when ready to use. (Make sure it is not too warm when pouring over the frosting so the frosting doesn't melt.)
Assemble the cake:
- If the cakes are dramatically dome-shaped, use a large serrated knife to even the tops. Place one cake layer top-side-down on a cake board. Cover in frosting, then pipe a thin ring of extra frosting around the edge. Lightly pour some of the butterscotch sauce in the center of the cake, just to cover the surface. Place the second cake layer on top, and repeat the frosting, ring of extra frosting, and butterscotch filling. Top with the final cake layer. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting. Slowly pour the remaining butterscotch sauce on top, letting some drip down the sides.
- If not consuming within a few hours, the cake should be covered and refrigerated. Set it out a couple hours to bring to room temperature before serving.
Make the gingerbread cookies (optional):
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream softened butter with brown sugar for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Then add sea salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and flour. Mix until evenly combined and a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, form into a ball and wrap in plastic, then refrigerate at least 4 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF. Roll dough out onto a well-floured work surface. The colder the dough and more flour you use, the easier the cookies will hold their shape. Use cookie cutters to form into desired shapes. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes for soft cookies. Cool completely.
- When cool, dip or spread melted white chocolate over the cookies, or decorate as desired. Rest at room temperature until white chocolate hardens.
- Finish garnishing the cake with the decorated cookies. Dust with powdered sugar.