How do you make a classic holiday recipe like gingerbread cake even better? With a hidden layer of delicious, rich, creamy cheesecake, is how! This Cheesecake Stuffed Gingerbread Cake is sweet, spicy, moist and fudgy, and incredibly easy to make!
So go ahead and impress your family and friends with a perfect gingerbread cake slice with beautiful swirls of cheesecake hidden inside! 🙂
I love gingerbread! And I bet you do too. You wouldn’t be here otherwise, for starters. 🙂 Besides, it’s such a classic holiday flavor that evokes memories for me just by its sweet smell and spicy, dark molassy, warming flavors! My first love was gingerbread cookies, but they can be a little tedious to make, roll out, cut and bake… just to satisfy your gingerbread cravings. Which is why I love gingerbread cake even more! 🙂
This gingerbread cake batter comes together in mere minutes, and you get your gingerbread fill in the form of a deliciously moist cake, with minimal fuss.
But if you thought gingerbread cake couldn’t possibly get any better, I’m here to prove you wrong today. This Cheesecake Stuffed Gingerbread Cake is every bit as glorious as it sounds! 🙂 Imagine impressing your friends and family with a secret layer of creamy cheesecake hidden inside a beautifully moist and flavorful gingerbread cake!
How’s that for a twist on the classic holiday staple?
Step by step photos of how the gingerbread cake batter comes together
If you guys have been following me for a while, you’ll know that secret layer cakes are one of my favorite things to bake! So much so that I published a book called Secret Layer Cakes last December, which is packed with 60 fun, creative secret layer cakes, cheesecakes, ice cream cakes, no-bake cakes, dessert mash-ups etc., just like this cheesecake stuffed gingerbread cake!
You can click on this photo or right here to get your own copy of Secret Layer Cakes! It makes an EXCELLENT holiday gift too! 🙂
This cheesecake stuffed gingerbread cake isn’t from my book, but it was inspired by the cheesecake stuffed Devil’s Food Cake from my book (pictured below)! So I wanted to give you a flavor of the kind of cakes with hidden fillings that you can find in the book.
Cheesecake stuffed Devil’s Food Cake from my Secret Layer Cakes book
This recipe is everything a classic gingerbread cake should be, and more. Sweet and (sassy) molassy, and spicy with warming flavors of cinnamon, cloves, allspice and of course ginger. The gingerbread cake is soft with an open crumb, however the hidden cheesecake layer makes the gingerbread cake fudgier, while adding a delicious creamy texture.
The gingerbread cake is made in one bowl, and the cheesecake layer is mixed in a different bowl. Then the cheesecake batter is layered carefully over the gingerbread cake.
How to make the cheesecake layer and assemble the cake for baking
To make this cake truly a secret layer cake, I like to layer a little more of the gingerbread cake batter over the cheesecake layer as well, completely covering it inside the gingerbread cake. You can also do this, OR bake the cake without the third layer of gingerbread to cover the cheesecake. This way the cheesecake layer would still be visible in the middle.
Either way will be fine, because we will be covering this cheesecake stuffed gingerbread layer cake with lightly sweetened whipped cream on top, so the cheesecake layer won’t be visible from the top either way.
So for the unsuspecting eye, it’ll look like a regular ol’ gingerbread cake, but then you cut into it, and you’re met with gorgeous cheesecake swirls trapped within! 🙂 If you love baking gingerbread cake for the holidays, then you guys have got to try this little twist! Not only does the secret cheesecake layer make this cake look extra special, it makes the gingerbread cake taste richer and more decadent too. Plus, I flavored the cheesecake with nutmeg, in the spirit of the holidays, so the flavors are perfectly complementary.
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Cheesecake Stuffed Gingerbread Cake
Sweet and spicy gingerbread cake with a fudgy, creamy hidden cheesecake layer inside. Two desserts in one, and perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
Gingerbread cake
- 312 g AP flour 2 ½ cups
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp allspice
- 115 g unsalted butter 1 stick or ½ cup butter
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 100 g white sugar ½ cup
- 320 g molasses 1 cup
- 1 egg
- 240 mL hot water 1 cup
Cheesecake Layer
- 12 oz softened cream cheese 1 ½ blocks
- 75 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
- Pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 1 yolk
Whipped Cream (optional)
- 1 ¼ cup of whipping cream
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Extra ground cinnamon
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake
Line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper, with an overhang on the sides (to make it easier to remove the cake later).
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a small bowl - sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice together. Set aside.
In a large bowl - mix the butter with a hand-held mixer (or a stand mixer) until creamy. Add the salt and white sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and mix until well combined.
Add the egg and whisk until it's just mixed into the batter.
Add the sifted dry ingredients in 2 - 3 additions, and fold the dry ingredients into the batter. You can use the hand mixer on low speed as well, but only mix until the flour has fully incorporated. DO NOT OVER MIX.
Add the hot water and mix the batter on low speed until the water is mixed in well and you have a smooth batter. Set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl, along with the sugar and salt. Mix with a hand mixer until the cream cheese is nice and smooth. Add the whipping cream, vanilla and nutmeg, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the egg and egg yolk and mix on low speed until the eggs have incorporated into the cheesecake batter. The cheesecake layer is now ready.
Assembling and Baking
Pour about ¾ of the gingerbread cake batter into the pan. Make sure the pan is placed on an even surface.
Slowly and evenly, pour the cheesecake batter over the gingerbread cake batter in the center (see pictures in post). Make sure the cheesecake batter stays in the middle and doesn't reach the edges.
Evenly pour the remaining gingerbread cake batter on top, completely covering the cheesecake batter (see pictures in post).
Place the cake pan in the oven and bake for about 55 - 65 minutes. The cake is done when the center of the cake is no longer jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in to the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool. Loosen the cake slightly from the cake pan, while it's still warm. Let the cake cool down completely to room temperature before serving. You can also chill the cake in the fridge before serving as well.
Whipped Cream (optional)
Place the whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk on medium speed until you have soft peaks.
Spread the whipping cream on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
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