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!

Glazed gingerbread bundt cake garnished with cranberries and fresh rosemary

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 for homemade gingerbread bundt cake

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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Baking Equipment Needed:

gold bundt pan

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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!

Useful Recipe Tips For Success

  • Opt for a premium baking spray for a clean and effective release.
  • Apply a generous layer of butter or oil to the pan using a paper towel, pastry brush, or baking spray, ensuring complete coverage of every nook and cranny of the bundt pan. Gently dust the pan with flour, tapping to coat evenly and eliminate any excess.
  • Correctly measure flour by whisking/fluffing flour in the container first, spooning it into a measuring cup, then level with a flat edge.
  • Be sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda to create enough lift to the gingerbread bundt cake.
  • It’s super important that the cream cheese filling mixture is at room temperature before adding to the center of the bundt cake, or you can end up with an overcooked bundt cake with a gummy center.
  • A cookie scoop helps place even amounts of the cream cheese filling around the tub. Be sure to leave a one-inch border from the sides and the center tub.

*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.

cutting a piece of Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Christmas Bundt Cake Pans

When you need an over-the-top Christmas dessert, there are some spectacular Christmas bundt cake pans out there. Take a gingerbread cake from fantastic to fabulously fantastic with one of these gorgeous bundt pan designs:

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.

Gingerbread Bundt Cake with sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary sprigs

Recipe FAQs

What is a bundt cake?

A bundt cake is a type of cake baked in a ring-shaped pan, known as a bundt pan, which gives the cake its distinctive shape. The pan’s design includes a central tube, and bundt cakes come in various flavors, often served with glaze or icing.

Can I use a different type of pan if I don’t have a Bundt pan for my recipe?

Yes, you can use a different pan, but the baking time may vary. Adjust the time accordingly and choose a pan with a similar volume. Keep in mind that the distinctive shape of a Bundt cake may be lost if using a different pan.

How do I make sure my gingerbread bundt cake doesn’t stick to the pan?

Carefully and generously grease and flour your bundt pan before adding the batter. Check out this video to see how to use gravity and tapping to help release a bundt cake.
 
Cool a bundt cake recipe in the recommended amount of time before turning it out (usually 10-20 minutes). If you flip it too soon, the hot sugars are still soft, and the cake will break apart easily. When cooled for too long, the sugars solidify and stick to the pan.

Do I have to flour a non-stick bundt pan?

Even when you start a bundt cake recipe with a non-stick bundt pan, always grease and flour the pan to ensure your cake won’t stick. A non-stick coating wears and can become less effective over time, so be sure to follow the manufacturer’s cleaning and care instructions.

a bit of ginger bread cake on a white plate with a fork

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.
homemade gingerbread bundt cake on a holiday table

Like This Recipe?

I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a review below and let me know how you liked the recipe!

Gingerbread Bundt Cake with a glaze, garnished with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs

Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Yield: 12-16 servings
Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Cooling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 8 minutes

Whisk up holiday joy effortlessly with this stunning Gingerbread Bundt Cake! Adorned with warm spices, a luscious cream cheese filling, and a heavenly rum glaze. The charming touch of a pretty bundt pan adds an extra touch of elegance to your festive table.

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 8 oz (1 package) cream cheese room temp 
  • 4 tablespoons butter, room temp
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar 
  • 1 large egg, room temp 
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gingerbread Cake:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temp

Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk (or heavy cream), adjusted to achieve desired consistency
  • 1 teaspoon rum extract (or 1 tablespoon maple syrup)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with baking spray, or butter and flour it. Set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling 

  1. With an electric mixer beat together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add egg, flour, and vanilla and continue beating until smooth. Set aside. 

Cake Batter 

  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, cloves, allspice, and baking soda. 
  2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer, and beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs, and beat until combined, then mix in the molasses
  3. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in thirds, alternating between additions, and stirring until just combined. 
  4. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Spoon the cream cheese filling over the batter and gently smooth, without touching the sides of the pan. Leave a 1-inch border around the edge of the pan. Top carefully with the remaining cake batter.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before inverting it to a cooling rack. Cool completely (about 2-3 hours) before adding the glaze. 
  7. If the cake is uneven, trim a little off the bottom to make it level. 

Glaze 

  1. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and rum extract (or maple syrup).  Start 1 tablespoon of milk, and add more to reach the desired consistency. 

After the cake cools completely, drizzle the glaze over the top, and decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs if desired.  Enjoy!

Notes

Store gingerbread cake covered in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days or you can freeze it for up to two months.

When I make bundt cakes, I usually grease and flour the pan AND spray it lightly with no-stick bakery spray.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 394Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 370mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

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gingerbread cake with sugared cranberries and rosemary on a white plate