Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 3 votes

Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

This Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect festive dessert for the holiday season. Fill your home with the old fashioned fragrance of Christmas- ginger, cinnamon and cloves. The beautiful addition of frosted cranberries on top make this cake an elegant addition to your holiday table.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Cooling15

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: british

Servings: pieces

Calories: 382kcal

Author: Christy Faber

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

2 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
1 cup hot water
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup fancy molasses

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese room temperature
¼ cup orange juice
orange zest from half an orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar

Frosted Cranberries

1 ½ cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup sugar for simple syrup
¼ cup water
⅓ cup sugar for rolling

Instructions

Gingerbread Cake

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Cream the melted butter and sugar together. Beat for two minutes until well combined.
Add the egg and beat until combined. Blend in the molasses.
Add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
Now add the hot water and mix the batter until it is smooth.
Pour the batter into a greased 10 cup bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 to 20 minutes and then remove the cake from the pan onto a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
Combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
Gradually add in the orange juice as you continue beating to achieve a smooth texture.
Add the vanilla and orange zest and combine.
Pour the icing over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down on either side.

Frosted Cranberries

First, make your simple syrup. Combine the ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan. Heat the syrup over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Do not bring to a boil.
Add the cranberries to the simple syrup, stirring gently to coat.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the cranberries to a wire rack over a pan to catch the drippings.
Wait for about an hour for the cranberries to dry and then roll them in the ⅓ cup sugar.
Add the frosted cranberries to the top of the iced cake for a beautiful presentation.
The cranberries will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Notes

Properly grease your Bundt pan: grease your pan well with coconut oil or vegetable oil and then dust with flour and tap out the excess. After baking, wait 10-20 minutes for the cake to cool before turning it out on a cooling rack.

Measure the flour carefully and accurately. The best way to do this is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.

When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can result in a denser cake.

Be sure to add the hot water after you have combined the dry and wet ingredients. If you add the hot water directly to the wet ingredients you risk cooking the egg on contact.

Use a cake tester or toothpick to check for doneness. Insert it into the center of the cake; if it comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), the cake is done.

For the cream cheese icing, adjust the amount of orange juice to achieve your desired consistency. Add more juice for a thinner icing or more powdered sugar for a thicker one.

When decorating the top of the cake you can also add some fresh rosemary sprigs for a festive touch.

You can bake the cake a day in advance and store it, tightly wrapped, at room temperature. Add the icing and cranberries just before serving.

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