It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Well…not quite, but almost and truth be told, I am here for it. Halloween decorations are down and I’m itching to get my Christmas stuff up. While I count down the days until December and I can officially “deck the halls” you can find me eating all the yummy Christmas treats. Case and point: this banging Cranberry Gingerbread cake.
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Fun fact about this cake: it’s not just dairy-free but it’s also gluten-free too! I saw a box of Kinnikinnick gluten-free gingersnap cookies the other day when inspiration hit. Snagged that box of cookies and their gluten-free flour blend and practically ran home to get baking. Now, I’m certainly no gluten-free baking expert, but with the experience I do have, I knew that I had to make a few simple changes to my basic go-to cake recipe.
An extra egg and some added liquid help keep this gluten-free cake moist and oh so totally delicious. I made this cake for Sunday Family Cake and didn’t tell a soul that it was gluten-free. Sliced, served, and devoured. Not a single person knew that it was gluten-free. Not even my husband who is notorious for wrinkling his nose at anything labeled “gluten-free.”
So I’m calling this a double win: 1. for all that Christmassy flavour feel and 2. gluten-free cake that is just as yummy as “regular” cake. Bake this up and see if you too can trick your friends and family.

Cranberry Gingerbread Cake
- Prep Time: 2 Hrs
- Cook Time: 30 Min
- Total Time: 2 Hrs 30 Min
- Yield: 10 Slices 1x
Description
Four delicious layers of gluten-free and dairy-free gingerbread cake covered with sweet whipped cranberry buttercream.
Ingredients
GINGERBREAD CAKE
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½ cup dairy-free salted butter
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⅓ cup all-vegetable oil
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¾ cup brown sugar
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¾ cup white sugar
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⅓ cup dairy-free yogurt
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¼ cup egg whites
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1 egg, large
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½ cup fancy molasses
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1 tbsp. vanilla extract
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2 ½ cups Kinnikinnick gluten-free flour, sifted
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1 ½ tsp. baking powder
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½ tsp. baking soda
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1 tsp. fine sea salt
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1 ½ tsp. ginger
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1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
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1 tsp. clove
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½ cup dairy-free milk
CRANBERRY BUTTERCREAM
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1 cup dairy-free salted butter, room temperature
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1 cup all-vegetable shortening
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8 cups icing sugar
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1 tbsp. sea salt
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1 tbsp. vanilla extract
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1 cup canned cranberry sauce
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optional: Kinnikinnick Gingersnaps for decor
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE DRIP
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1 ½ tbsp. dairy-free milk
Instructions
CRANBERRY CAKE INSTRUCTIONS:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare four 6-inch round cake pans.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter, oil, and sugars on high for 2 minutes with the whisk attachment.
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Add egg and egg whites and mix on high for 2 minutes.
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Add the molasses, yogurt, and vanilla extract and mix on high for 2 minutes.
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Combine all the dry ingredients into the mixer and mix on low.
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While the mixer is on low slowly pour in the milk and mix until combined. Be careful to not overmix the batter.
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Divide batter between pans and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
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Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then invert on a cooling rack to fully cool.
CRANBERRY BUTTERCREAM INSTRUCTIONS:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and shortening on high speed with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
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Add the icing sugar, cranberry sauce, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low until combined.
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Turn the mixer up to high and let mix for 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl when necessary.
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE DRIP INSTRUCTIONS:
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In a microwave-safe bowl heat the white chocolate and milk in 30-second intervals until fully melted and smooth stirring between each interval.
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Depending on the kind of milk, the drip may require a touch more milk to thin or a bit more white chocolate to thicken. *I always test my ganache drips over the edge of the kitchen sink before applying to a cake to check the consistency.
CAKE ASSEMBLY:
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Place one leveled layer of gluten-free gingerbread cake on a cake board or plate. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream.
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Repeat with remaining layers and apply a thin coat of buttercream all over the cake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
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Cover the cake with another layer of buttercream and smooth sides using the Wilton Cake Comb. Make sure to clean the comb after each pass.
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On a well-chilled cake, with a spoon or a piping bag, drip the warm white chocolate ganache over the edges of the cake and put back in the refrigerator to chill.
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Decorate as you please. I used a Wilton 1M tip and piped buttercream ruffles with a Kinnikinnick Gingersnap in between each ruffle. Enjoy!
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: baking, cake, dairy-free cake, gluten-free cake, cranberry cake, gingerbread cake, gingerbread, cranberry, gluten-free, dairy-free