This is the MOISTEST, SOFTEST, FUDGIEST chocolate cake, leveled up with warm notes of gingerbread, a crunchy cookie crust, rich chocolate ganache, sweet and nutty toffee bits, and creamy whipped browned butter cream cheese buttercream. It’s the ultimate celebration cake for Christmas or any wintry occasion.
Take my chocolatiest Dutch chocolate cake, mix in brown sugar, molasses, and a touch of warm spices, then layer it up with lots of crunchy, fudgy, buttery fillings, and cover it all in the dreamiest browned butter cream cheese buttercream. The result is this masterpiece I can’t wait to share with you.
To me, this is Christmas in cake form. It’s rich and indulgent, warm and comforting, festive, crowd-pleasing, and features all the flavors of your favorite Christmas goodies–chocolate, gingerbread, buttery cookies, crunchy toffee, cream cheese, and more chocolate.
The recipe does require a little extra time and care to get all the yummy layers in there, but I promise your efforts are worth it. You’re making magic here. I’ll try to break the steps down so it shouldn’t be intimidating. To simplify the process, I would make the cake layers and a few other components (like the browned butter for the frosting and the ganache) a day in advance so that everything has time to chill and comes together easily. I truly believe in sparing you as much time and hassle as possible, so I’ll also specify which steps actually matter, even if they might take more time.
The Cookie Crust
My new thing lately has been baking a crust on the bottom of cakes. A soft sponge with frosting is satisfying, but a layered cake with a bite of crunch in the center is awe-inspiring. Next level. Game-changing. It’s the “wow” factor that will blow your mind when you taste it all together.
Here I used Biscoff cookies, which have warm notes of brown sugar and spices that blend beautifully with the flavors of this cake. You can also use crisp gingersnaps if you want to bring out more of the gingerbread flavor.
- Crush up the cookies. You can use a food processor if that’s convenient, but honestly I never do. I put the cookies in a large Ziplock baggy and literally bang them with a rolling pin on the counter until they are all crushed up like fine sand. That’s one gadget and one bowl you can save.
- Mix the cookie crumbs with softened butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Divide the mixture between the prepared cake pans (greased and lined with parchment paper) and press down to form a compact crust.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8 minutes.
The Chocolate Gingerbread Cake Batter
For the wet ingredients, you’ll need:
- Granulated sugar + Brown sugar: Brown sugar is added to help develop the warm, molassesy flavor of gingerbread. It also happens to retain a lot more moisture than refined sugar, so the cake turns out ultra moist with a fudgier texture than a classic chocolate cake recipe.
- Molasses: An added dose of “brown” to the brown sugar. Please do not use blackstrap because it’s too bitter.
- Neutral oil, such as refined almond oil, refined avocado oil, or canola oil
- Sour cream and buttermilk, full-fat, room temp: They both help create a more tender crumb (the acidity breaks down gluten), add moisture, help with leavening, and enhance the depth of flavor.
- Large egg, room temp
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste: Vanilla bean paste has a much richer vanilla flavor than vanilla extract, and it’s really worthwhile when you want the vanilla bean flavor to shine. For a chocolate cake batter it doesn’t make much of a difference, but I would definitely recommend splurging on the vanilla bean paste for the frosting. A little goes such a long way.
When starting to make the batter, you’re naturally going to wonder, “does it really matter if the ingredients are room temperature? I’m ready now… what’s the harm in going ahead with a few cold ingredients?” Unfortunately, having room temperature ingredients is one of the little things that does matter. The batter will not emulsify as well with cold ingredients, and the cake can end up with a coarser texture and uneven bake. Do yourself a favor and set the ingredients out about an hour before you plan on baking. If you store your oil in the refrigerator or flour in the freezer, set these out in advance too.
For the dry ingredients:
- All-purpose flour, sifted if lumpy
- Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted: Dutch process cocoa creates a deeper, darker, smoother chocolate flavor that’s to-die-for in this cake. Because it’s treated with alkali (to neutralize the acidity), it also works beautifully with the buttermilk and sour cream to balance acidity.
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice: The gingerbread spice in this cake is subtle, as I wanted to create a predominantly warm, comforting chocolate cake with hints of gingerbread. If you want a spicier flavor, you can double the amounts that are called for.
- Baking soda and powder: The soda is needed to react with the acid in the buttermilk, sour cream, molasses and brown sugar. Powder is sufficient for Dutch-process cocoa, which is already neutralized.
- Salt
The question here is going to be, “do I really have to sift my ingredients?” For the cocoa, yes, it matters. Cocoa loves to clump up, and those clumps are often impossible to get out just by stirring the batter really well. For the flour… eh. I typically don’t have issues with my all-purpose flour forming clumps, so probably ok to skip sifting of the flour if it looks loose enough. Spoiler: you should definitely sift your powdered sugar before making the buttercream.
Finally, after combining the wet and dry:
- Boiling water + instant espresso (or hot coffee): When you mix in hot water, you can immediately smell the cocoa bloom, which creates a richer, deeper chocolate flavor. The coffee also enhances the flavor of the cocoa (does not make it taste like coffee).
The chocolate ganache
This is a super simple 2-ingredient chocolate ganache made with 1:1 (oz to fl. oz) semi-sweet chocolate (50-60%) and heavy cream. High-quality chocolate chips or a chopped up chocolate bar both work. I typically use Ghirardelli.
The ganache will initially be runny when warm, so giving it time to fully cool and set up in the refrigerator is crucial. After chilling, it has the perfect rich fudgy consistency to spread onto cake layers and pipe for decoration. You can make it the day before, store in the fridge, and set it out to soften slightly right before assembling the finished cakes.
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Buttercream
This has definitely become one of my favorite frostings to make and eat. It comes together as easily as an American buttercream, but instead of the one-note, harsh sweetness and dense texture of American buttercream, it has a beautiful balance of nuttiness, tanginess, and deep vanilla flavor with a fluffy, smooth and creamy texture. It’s the dreamiest pairing for rich chocolate cake, gingerbread spices, buttery cookies, and toffee.
The ingredients:
- Browned butter, solid but softened: The browning process creates a warm and toasty, caramelized flavor that tastes magical in the frosting. I recommend browning the butter ahead of time so it has plenty of time to cool and solidify. Store it in the refrigerator, then set it out to soften about an hour before mixing the frosting. You want it to be solid but soft, just cooler than room temperature.
- Cream cheese, full-fat block-style, softened: Cream cheese adds a subtle tang that elevates the flavor and tames the sweetness level.
- Powdered sugar, sifted: Yes, sifting does matter for the powdered sugar. Clumps tend to stick and won’t blend out easily when mixing the frosting, and you really don’t want a lumpy or gritty frosting.
- Vanilla bean paste: This is a place where the splurge for vanilla bean paste (rather than extract) really makes a difference in flavor.
- Salt and cinnamon
- Cold heavy cream: A splash added near the end creates a smoother, lighter texture.
Assembly
Before you even think about assembling the layers, it is SO IMPORTANT that you CHILL THE CAKES.
Think about it… You just made the softest, moistest, fudgiest sponge possible for a layer cake. Plus you added a buttery, crumbly crust. Naturally, it wants to fall apart. That’s the beauty of an ultra-tender, exquisite chocolate cake. Therefore, to avoid a mess, the cakes need to be fully cooled and chilled before you start frosting and stacking.
Let the cakes cool first in the pans, then on a wire rack to room temperature. After that, wrap each individual cake layer tightly in plastic wrap, lock them in an air-tight container (it’s fine to place them on top of one another once they’re wrapped), and let them chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight. For extra stability, you can pop them in the freezer about 30 minutes before assembly.
Finally, when your sponge layers are chilled, the frosting is cool, and the ganache is cool and firm but spreadable, then start building:
- 1st cake layer, crust-side down (with a little frosting smeared on the cake board to “glue” it down)
- Rim of buttercream
- Big dollop of ganache spread within the rim of buttercream
- Sprinkle of toffee bits
- 2nd cake layer
- Rim of buttercream
- Ganache
- Toffee
- 3rd cake layer
- Crumb coat of buttercream, then chill again
- Final coating of buttercream
- Decor/piping with remaining ganache
For a tutorial on Christmas tree piping, check out these awesome posts from Curly Girl Kitchen and Style Sweet. My cake decorating skills are rudimentary at best, so this Christmas tree pattern is very manageable if you want to try something simple but impactful. It makes for a stunning holiday cake without taking much additional time.
Fudgy Chocolate Gingerbread Layer Cake
This is the MOISTEST, SOFTEST, FUDGIEST chocolate cake, leveled up with warm notes of gingerbread, a crunchy cookie crust, rich chocolate ganache, sweet and nutty toffee bits, and creamy whipped browned butter cream cheese buttercream. It's the ultimate celebration cake for Christmas or any wintry occasion.
Notes
This recipe makes a 3-layer 6-inch round cake. For a 2-layer 8-inch round cake, use the same ingredient amounts, but baking time may be slightly shorter.
Please see post above for additional notes on ingredients and tips for best results (including answers to “what happens if I skip this step?”).
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 160g Biscoff cookies (may sub crispy gingersnaps for more gingerbread flavor)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
For the chocolate gingerbread cake:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (such as refined almond oil or canola oil)
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 Tbsp molasses (not Blackstrap)
- 120g all-purpose flour, sifted if lumpy
- 48g cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred), sifted
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
For the chocolate ganache:
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (50-60% cocoa)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
For the browned butter cream cheese frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned, chilled until solidified, and softened to just cooler than room temperature
- 8 oz full-fat, block-style cream cheese, softened to just cooler than room temperature
- 3 - 3.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted (I used 3 1/3)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt, adjusted to taste
- 1 Tbsp cold heavy cream
For assembly:
- Crumbled toffee bits (such as Heath Bar Bits o’ Brickle)
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a food processor, combine the Biscoff cookies, salt, and sugar. Pulse into a fine crumb (like sand). Alternatively, add to a baggy and beat with a rolling pin until finely crushed.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in the softened butter with a fork until the crumbs are thoroughly coated.
- Preapare three 6-inch cake pans by greasing the bottom and sides with cooking spray or butter and lining the bottoms with a parchment paper round.
- Evenly divide the crumbs between the prepared cake pans, and press down firmly to mold into a crust. Bake 8 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Make the cake:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, sour cream, and buttermilk until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses, and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Gradually mix in the flour, sifted cocoa powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until thoroughly combined without lumps.
- In a microwave-safe measuring cup, microwave 1/2 cup water until boiling, then stir in the espresso to dissolve.
- While constantly stirring the batter, gradually mix in the hot coffee. Mix until smooth and even in consistency (making sure to scrape the sides and bottom).
- Divide batter into the 3 6-inch cake pans over the pre-baked crust. Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then, carefully run a thin rubber spatula or knife around the sides to release the sides of the cake and crust from the bottom. Flip the cakes out and turn onto a wire rack.
- When completely cooled to room temperature, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge or freezer a few hours or overnight prior to assembly.
Make the ganache:
- Microwave cream in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl until nearly boiling (about 45 seconds, then in 10-second increments until it starts to bubble). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover with foil.
- Let sit about 4-5 minutes, then stir, starting in the center of the bowl then working your way out, until smooth and no lumps of chocolate remain.
- Set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm but spreadable.
Make the browned butter cream cheese buttercream:
- Brown the butter: Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan as the butter melts. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter bubbles, foams, then turns golden brown (about 5 minutes after it begins bubbling). It should smell toasty and nutty, and you should see brown milk solids at the bottom. Pay close attention so it doesn’t burn. Remove the saucepan from heat. Carefully pour the browned butter into a small heat-proof container to cool, making sure to include all the browned bits at the bottom. When no longer hot, transfer the browned butter to the refrigerator until solidified but still soft. Set out to make the frosting.
- Add the cooled/solidified browned butter and softened cream cheese to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or large mixing bowl (if using a handheld mixer). Beat together 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed, until fluffy.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a separate bowl.
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar to the whipped browned butter and cream cheese, 1/2 cup at a time. With each addition, start at low speed to incorporate, then increase to medium-high speed. After all the sugar is incorporated, beat another 2-3 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the salt (to taste), cinnamon, vanilla, and heavy cream (adjusting the amount as needed for desired consistency). Beat until smooth. Finally, stir the frosting by hand a few times to remove excess air.
- Chill the frosting in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to help it set up before frosting the cake.
Assemble:
- Make sure the cake layers are completely chilled before frosting and assembling them, as they are very soft and will fall apart easily if trying to work with them at room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is cool and stabilized, but smooth and spreadable. The ganache should be cooled and firm but spreadable.
- If necessary, use a serrrated knife to level the tops of the cakes.
- Place a smear of buttercream on the center of a cake board, then place the first cake layer crust-side down on the cake board.
- Pipe a rim of buttercream around the perimeter of the cake layer.
- Place a generous dollop of ganache in the center and gently spread to fill the space inside the rim of buttercream.
- Sprinkle a thin layer of toffee bits over the ganache in the center.
- Layer on the second cake, crust-side-down, and repeat the rim of buttercream, ganache, and toffee.
- Place the third cake layer on top, crust-side down.
- Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin coat of buttercream to seal in the crumbs. Transfer to the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 minutes to chill.
- Finish frosting the cake with another coat of buttercream.
- Use the remaining cooled ganache for piping decorations, if desired. (See post above for tips.)
- The cake is best served at room temperature or slightly cool.
- Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator. Individual slices can be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in an air-proof container, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5ish days or the freezer for up to 3ish months. Bring to room temperature before serving leftover cake.
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