Glazed Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Gingerbread Bundt Cake is a must-have holiday treat! Packed with warm gingerbread spices, cream cheese filling, and a delightful rum glaze. Unbelievably good!

Whether it’s Easy Gingerbread Snack Cake or Gingerbread cupcakes, there’s no better way to capture the essence of “holiday baking” than with the comforting aroma and flavors of warm gingerbread recipes. Elevate your festive season with this Gingerbread Bundt cake!

Why Filled Gingerbread Bundt Cake Is Such A Hit

While this cake is spectacular year-round, all of the warm spices make it the perfect dessert to enjoy during the holidays. Also, this gingerbread bundt cake smells absolutely amazing while it bakes.

• This gorgeous bundt cake recipe is packed with warm, cozy spices for that classic gingerbread flavor.
• Luscious cream cheese filling adds a scrumptious tangy twist to every bite.
• For holiday gatherings glazed gingerbread bundt cake is easy to make and simple to decorate with sugared cranberries.
• A classic bundt cake shape presents beautifully and adds simple elegance to your dessert table.
• The combination of moist cream-filled gingerbread cake topped with rum glaze creates unforgettable flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Don’t let the ingredient list fool you; just your basic baking supplies with traditional gingerbread spices for outstanding flavor! These three elements come together for one delicious gingerbread bundt cake, definitely Christmas dessert-worthy!

For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Cream Cheese Filling:

• Cream Cheese – Use full-fat room-temperature cream cheese 
• Butter – Take the chill off before mixing it with the cream cheese.
• Powdered Sugar – sift or break up lumps for silky smooth filling.
• Large Egg – Room temperature egg binds and lifts cream cheese while baking at room temperature.
• All-Purpose Flour
• Vanilla Extract – Soft aromatic notes balance the tangy cream cheese.

Gingerbread Cake Ingredients:

• Dry Bundt Base – all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• Ground Spices – ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. 
• Room Temperature -unsalted butter, large eggs, and buttermilk.
• Sweet Stuff – light brown sugar (packed) and molasses.

To test baking soda, place a few tablespoons of vinegar in a small dish and stir in about a teaspoon of baking soda. The mixture should immediately begin to fizz if the baking soda is still active; if there’s little to no reaction, it’s time to replace it.

Easy 3 Ingredient Bundt Glaze

• Powdered Sugar – sift or break up any lumps.
• Whole Milk – or heavy cream for extra richness. 
• Rum Extract – or maple syrup

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Directions

Gingerbread enthusiasts rejoice! A straightforward, step-by-step bundt recipe for gingerbread cake (no cake mix!) will make this gingerbread dessert an annual tradition! Start with greasing and flouring a 10-inch Bundt pan with baking spray or butter and flour, and preheat the oven.

When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Cream Cheese Filling

1. Whip cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  
2. Combine powdered sugar, then beat in egg, flour, and vanilla until smooth. Do not refrigerate!

How To Measure Flour Properly: Did you know THE WAY you measure flour matters? The most precise way to measure your flour is by weight using a digital kitchen scale. 1 cup of flour weighs 125 to 130 grams. If you don’t have a scale measure your flour by scooping flour with a spoon into the cup. Don’t use your measuring cup as a scoop, as it packs the flour down and gives a different measure.

Cake Batter:

1. Sift the dry bundt base ingredients and spices together.  
2. Cream brown sugar and softened butter until fluffy; beat in the eggs, then the molasses.
3. Alternate one-third of the flour mixture with one-third buttermilk, stirring until just combined, and repeat.
4. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and scoop or spoon the cream cheese filling onto the batter.
5. Layer the remaining cake batter and bake for 50-60 minutes, and the toothpick test comes out clean.
6. Allow a cream cheese-filled gingerbread to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes and invert onto a cooling rack. 
7. Cool gingerbread bundt (about 2-3 hours) before adding the glaze.

TIP: You can test your baking powder for freshness. Simply, pour a little baking powder into hot water — if it fizzes, it’s still good to use!

Glaze Preparation:

1. Whisk milk, powdered sugar, and rum extract (or maple syrup) until smooth, adding milk if needed.  
2. Drizzle glaze on the gingerbread bundt and decorate with rosemary sprigs and Sugared Cranberries if desired. Enjoy!

*Chef’s Note: Know your oven’s temperature using an oven thermometer. When an oven runs hot, the gingerbread bundt can dome unevenly. Tapping the filled bundt cake batter on a cutting board or kitchen towel is the best practice to force any large air bubbles upward and level out the batter.

Storage

Gingerbread bundt cake can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. If you want to store it for longer, you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 2 months.

Easy Substitutions

• You can use heavy cream, half and half, or unsweetened coconut cream instead of milk when making the gingerbread cake glaze.
• Try one tablespoon of maple syrup in place of a teaspoon of rum extract if you prefer gingerbread bundt cake with maple glaze.
• Skip the glaze and simply dust the cake with powdered sugar.
• No buttermilk? No problem! I keep a can of powdered buttermilk on hand, or you can make your own buttermilk: put one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice into a one-cup measure and fill it with milk. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes.
• You can also replace buttermilk by measuring 1 ¾ teaspoon of cream of tartar into a one-cup measure, filling with milk. Stir well.