This gingerbread bundt cake is a spiced bundt filled with gingerbread men and finished with a simple maple icing. It’s festive, moist, and a delightful surprise to find gingerbread cutouts in every slice — a perfect holiday centerpiece.
This festive Gingerbread Bundt Cake combines a tender, lightly spiced bundt with little gingerbread men baked into the center. A quick maple glaze ties everything together for a dessert that’s both adorable and delicious.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s a fun, surprising cake — every slice reveals a gingerbread man.
- The spice level is balanced and approachable, so even those who don’t usually love gingerbread will enjoy it.
- The maple icing is quick and easy to make.
- This bundt makes a memorable Christmas dessert that’s as charming as it is tasty.
Instructions
This recipe makes two components: a gingerbread loaf used to cut the gingerbread men, and a spiced bundt cake that holds them. Follow the steps in order for best results:
- Make the gingerbread loaf and let it cool completely.
- Cut the loaf into pieces and use a gingerbread-man cookie cutter to cut shapes.
- Prepare the spiced bundt batter.
- Spoon about 2 cups of bundt batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
- Place gingerbread men head-first about 1/2″ into the batter, arranging them side-by-side around the pan.
- Cover with the remaining bundt batter, bake, cool, and invert.
- When fully cooled, drizzle with maple icing, slice, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
Grease your pan well. Bundt pans have many nooks; use melted shortening or a thorough coating of nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
Grease just before baking. If you grease too early, the coating can migrate down the sides as it sits.
Stabilize the gingerbread men. Press each gingerbread man head-first about 1/2″ into the first layer of batter and place them back-to-back so they support one another. If one leans, steady it with your hand while arranging the rest.
Cookie cutter size. A 3″ tall, ~1″ deep gingerbread cutter works well. Larger shapes may extend too far and interfere with the bundt’s structure.
Recipe FAQs
If the gingerbread loaf is baked and cooled properly, the cutouts hold up well during the bundt bake. Avoid overbaking the gingerbread loaf so the cutouts remain tender.
After adding a thin layer of bundt batter, arrange the gingerbread men around the pan, touching each other. Cover them with the remaining batter so each slice contains a gingerbread silhouette when cut.
Press each figure head-first into the base layer of batter about 1/2″ and place them snugly together. Working carefully and steadying any that lean will help keep the row upright while you finish assembling the cake.
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Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Natalie
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup molasses
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 2½ cups flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup very hot water
Spiced Cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 3 cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
Maple Icing
- 1–1½ cups powdered sugar (add more to reach desired thickness)
- 3 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) milk, add gradually to reach desired consistency
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9×5″ loaf pans and line with parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- Cream sugar and butter for 2–3 minutes until light. Scrape bowl sides.
- Add the beaten egg, then molasses, mixing until combined.
- Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Slowly add the very hot water and stir until smooth; batter will be thin.
- Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 23–25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
- Slice each loaf in half lengthwise. Use a gingerbread-man cutter to cut as many shapes as possible and set aside (the recipe yielded about 32 cutouts).
Spice Bundt Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 10-cup bundt pan.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Gradually add beaten eggs, then add milk and dry ingredients alternately, mixing until smooth after each addition.
- Spoon 2 cups of batter into the prepared bundt and spread evenly.
- Insert gingerbread men head-first about ½” into the batter, arranging them back-to-back around the pan. Cover with remaining batter and tap the pan to release air bubbles.
- Bake 44–52 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or the cake springs back. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then invert and cool completely.
Maple Icing
- Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Add milk, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Adjust thickness with more sugar or milk as needed. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note nutritional values are estimates from an online calculator and should be used as a guideline only.