Gingerbread Traybake Cake!
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A deliciously spiced gingerbread traybake cake that’s perfect for the festive season! Scrumptious sticky gingerbread sponge, ginger buttercream frosting, and more!
Gingerbread traybake cake
Was another festive season really going to pass without me posting a gingerbread traybake recipe?! I think not. How could it?! I know how much you guys adore traybake recipes, and gingerbread recipes!
I wanted to do this post last year, but after the downright success of my gingerbread loaf cake I didn’t want to post this so soon! You guys still love the loaf cake though, so hopefully you will consider the traybake version haha!
Traybake cakes
Traybake cakes are always a hit for me when it comes to baking for a crowd (and yes I know this year is a little different, but you get what I am saying!) for a bake sale, or just because you prefer to eat cakes like that.
Traybake are easy – you just cut out a chunk, it’s one layer, and you have a slathering of something utterly delicious on top. Can you really beat that?! I love them.
My carrot cake traybake is without a doubt one of my favourites, along with my chocolate cake traybake – and this one?! It’s basically a combination of them both, but Christmas.
Ginger sponge
Ginger cake to me should be sticky, dense, and warming through the spices. My gingerbread drip cake is more classic sponge to make it easier, but the rest of my gingerbread related cakes are the same sticky dense lovely sponge that we all adore.
I won’t lie and say this cake is light and fluffy, but it also shouldn’t be! You use dark brown soft sugar (or light brown) and black treacle (or golden syrup) to create a rich and lovely flavour… add the ground ginger and cinnamon on top and you have the best bake ever.
Recipe swaps
You can use golden syrup instead of treacle and light brown sugar instead of dark brown but it will effect the flavour ever so slightly – it makes the sponger lighter, and the ginger flavour isn’t as intense – but if you dont mind or thats all you have then then go ahead!
I did change this sponge to use self raising flour and no bicarbonate of soda (As that’s what I had in at the time..) but if you wanted to use plain flour, and add 2tsps bicarbonate of soda to the milk (which you will need to warm and let sit for 10 minute before using) you can!
Tin and topping
I do find traybake tins can really vary in size – so sometimes that creates a bit of confusion. I typically call them 9×13″ tins as that’s what I have mostly – but I do also have a lovely 9×12″ tin. It is a tiny bit smaller – but both size tins will work well for this recipe.
For the topping I did the same style ginger buttercream frosting because I utterly adore it – and it’s so simple to make. It’s important to use block butter when making buttercream and not a spread as it’s too soft. Make sure to bring the butter to room temp first, and it’ll be easy!
You can decorate the cake as you like… I used mini gingerbread men (shop bought, don’t hate..) some crushed biscuits and some sprinkles. So simple – but you can also change it to whatever you prefer or fancy!I hope you guys love this recipe – it’s been very very highly requested so I hope it doesn’t disappoint! Enjoy! x
Gingerbread Traybake Cake!
Ingredients
The Cake
- 300 g unsalted butter
- 300 g dark brown soft sugar (or light brown)
- 150 g black treacle (or golden syrup)
- 475 g self raising flour
- 4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 medium eggs
- 300 ml whole milk (warm)
Decoration
- 125 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 250 g icing sugar
- 2 tsps ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Gingerbread men
- Gingerbread crumbs
- Sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan and grease and line a 9x13" traybake tin (or 9x12" if that's what you have!) with parchment paper.
- In a pan, gently heat the unsalted butter, dark brown sugar and treacle together in a pan until smooth, allow to cool for 10 minutes!
- In a large bowl, sift the self raising flour, ginger and cinnamon together and pour in the treacle mix – stir to combine.
- Add in the eggs and stir to combine.
- Finally, add in the milk and mix again.
- Pour the mixture into the lined tin - it's quite a runny mixture so don't worry.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until baked through.
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tin fully.
For the Decoration
- Beat your unsalted butter on it's own for a few minutes to loosen it and make it lovely and soft!
- Add in the icing sugar, and the spices, and beat again! Continue beating until the buttercream is lovely and fluffy and perfect!
- If your buttercream is a little thick, add 1-2 tbsp of boiling water or whole milk and mix again to smooth.
- Spread the buttercream onto the cake, and decorate with some gingerbread men, and gingerbread crumbs and some sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
- This cake will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days! The flavour keeps on getting better as the days go on.
- You could add some stem ginger to the recipe if you like when you beat in the egg!
- Instead of buttercream you can do a drizzle of icing hinted with ground ginger! Use 200g icing sugar, 2-3 tbsp of water (or as much as you need to get the consistency you want) and 1/2 tsp ground ginger.
- I recommend using this 9x13" traybake tin, or this 9x12" traybake tin!
- And finally, Iced Jems does the BEST sprinkles!
ENJOY!
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J x
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I made this in mini loaf tins and it was delicious! Just wondering if it wouldbwork in a silicone cake mould? Would it keep the shade & details well do you think? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jane, I have baked 2 of these cakes. One turned out light and fluffy and one turned out dense and fudgey. They were both baked with the same recipes, same oven, same tins and same temperature etc. I am not sure why this could be?
Did they go in the oven at the same time and on the same shelf, or was one left on the side before baking whilst the other baked?
Hi can I add caramel to the cake in this traybake as in your caramel ginger cake ? If so how much please.
I’m going to make this for Easter as so much chocolate around, it’s nice to have a change of flavour.
I have a jar of stem ginger I’d like to use, how do I substitute it for the ground ginger; what quantities do I use?
I just love all your recipes, you are the reason o can bake a successful cake! (They used to be more like biscuits). Friends are asking me to bake now haha.
Your G&T cake is often called for at our book club and the carrot cake is to die for.
Thanks so much for continuing to provide us with delicious recipes that work every time. Much appreciated 🙂
Hi Jane, I just tried out this recipe today and it was gorgeous! Mine for some reason rose a lot more than it looked like yours did, so each slice is MASSIVE, but that’s not bad thing when you’re taki g it to work to share with colleagues, ha! This tastes so, so nice and is SO easy to make – I think this is going to become a favourite of mine! I made mine with skimmed milk as that’s the only milk I had on hand but it still turned out perfectly. Thank you for this lovely bake!
thanks – I was wondering if I could use this instead and as you have used it and it was still perfect it means I can too x
Hi Jane great cake, as all your bakes are. I intend to ice the cake, can I freeze it iced with stem ginger on top?
Thank you keep your recipes and books coming
Julie
Yes absolutely you can, for up to 3 months! Hope this helps! x
Could you use baking block instead of butter
Hiya! Yes absolutely, but be sure to still use block butter for the frosting! Hope this helps x