Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake
, Updated Nov 22, 2025
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This Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake combines a fluffy warmly spiced gingerbread sponge with velvety ermine frosting. Decorate with gingerbread cookies for the cutest Christmas cake – no oven needed!
This isn’t just gingerbread cake. This is an Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake!
Bake two moist, soft and fragrant gingerbread sponges — right in the air fryer — then stack them with a cloud of old-school ermine frosting. Finish with a little snowfall of powdered sugar and a row of crisp gingerbread cookies around the outside, like a tiny edible winter village.
The end result: a bakery-style Christmas Gingerbread Village Cake that everyone will fall head over heels for and come back for a second slice.
Why You Will ❤️ This Recipe
- Baked in the air fryer, freeing up the oven for the OTHER festive dishes.
- This gingerbread layer cake is the perfect Christmas dinner dessert.
- The silky ermine frosting is literally DREAMY!
- Gingerbread cookies add the perfect Christmas finishing touch 🙂
Here’s What You’ll Need
This festive dessert looks like a high-effort Christmas patisserie cake, but method-wise it’s modern, fast, small-batch and air fryer–friendly. Old soul, new tech!
- Gingerbread sponge – the usual suspects, flour, brown sugar, eggs, milk and butter are transformed into a fragrant fluffy cake thanks to molasses, orange juice and zest plus the signature Christmas spices of cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
- Ermine frosting – this old-fashioned frosting was popular before American buttercream took over. It’s made by cooking milk, flour and sugar into a pudding-like texture, cooling it, then whisking it with butter until fluffy and glossy. I added brown sugar to create the perfect partner the the cake.
- Gingerbread cookies – bake them using these gingerbread house cookie cutters for the perfect (easy!) decoration.
How to Make Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake
Make the cake
- Place the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a mixing bowl, stirring well to combine. Make sure there’s no clumps of sugar lurking in there!
- Add the butter and beat on low speed using a hand or stand mixer until you have a sandy texture.
- Beat in the eggs, molasses, milk, orange juice and zest until you have a smooth batter. Divide between two greased and lined 8-inch cake pans and level.
- Preheat the air fryer to 325°F (160°C) for 3-5 minutes, place the cake pan in the air fryer basket and bake for 16-18 minutes (you will need to bake the cakes in batches).
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the frosting
- Place the flour, sugar and salt in a saucepan and stir to combine. Add the milk and stir over low heat until the mixture thickens and the whisk leaves a trail on the surface.
- Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Leave to cool down completely at room temperature. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps before using.
- Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Gradually add the boiled flour/milk mixture, whisking on high speed for 3-4 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Assemble the gingerbread cake
- Spread or pipe a generous amount of frosting over the bottom cake layer and top with the second, pressing down lightly so they stick together.
- Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake and use a side scraper to smooth it. Stick gingerbread cookies around the cake to create a Christmas village and dust with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Help, the frosting looks curdled! Don’t panic, this is common – usually a temperature issue. If the ermine frosting looks chunky, then the butter was too cold. Keep whisking on medium-high until it comes together, about 1-2 minutes. You can also add a few drops of hot water to even out the frosting.
- The frosting is too runny! The boiled milk base was still warm. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, then whisk again.
Storing Instructions
- Prep ahead: You can bake the two gingerbread cake layers up to two days in advance. Let them cool for 15 minutes or until barely warm, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.
- Store the assembled cake in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-4 days, but make sure to bring it back to room temperature before serving so the frosting can soften.
- Tip: the gingerbread cookies will slowly soften from the moisture of the frosting. If you want the cookies to stay crisp and snappy, place them on the cake right before serving.
Gingerbread Cake Decorating Ideas
- Sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary: Toss fresh cranberries and small rosemary sprigs in simple syrup, roll them in sugar and let them dry. They look like frosted berries and tiny Christmas trees.
- Caramel or Biscoff drizzle: Warm a little caramel sauce or smooth Biscoff spread and drizzle over the top of the cake so it drips slightly over the edges.
- Top the cake with meringue kisses or a mini gingerbread house.
Love To Bake?
Craving delicious, hassle-free bakes? Get your hands on Easy Air Fryer Bakes and discover mouthwatering recipes that will have you baking like a pro in your Air Fryer (without the fuss)!
Bake anything and everythig, from pavlovas and celebration cakes to decadent desserts, savoury bakes and even bread.
Did you make my Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake Recipe? Please leave a comment and rating if you try this recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.
Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake
This Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake combines a fluffy warmly spiced gingerbread sponge and velvety ermine frosting. Decorate with gingerbread cookies for the cutest Christmas cake — no oven needed!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter cubed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk lukewarm
- 2 tbsp molasses (treacle)
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tsp orange zest
For the frosting
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp (40g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter cubed
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
To decorate
- gingerbread cookies
- powdered sugar (icing sugar)
Instructions
Make the cake
- Place the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and spices in a mixing bowl, stirring well to combine. Make sure there's no clumps of sugar lurking in there!2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp baking soda
- Add the butter and beat on low speed using a hand or stand mixer until you have a sandy texture.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- Beat in the eggs, molasses, milk, orange juice and zest until you have a smooth batter. Divide between two greased and lined 8-inch cake pans and level.2 large eggs, ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk, 2 tbsp molasses, 1 tbsp orange juice, 2 tsp orange zest
- Preheat the air fryer to 325°F (160°C) for 3-5 minutes, place the cake pan in the air fryer basket and bake for 16-18 minutes (you will need to bake the cakes in batches).
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the frosting
- Place the flour, sugar and salt in a saucepan and stir to combine. Add the milk and stir over low heat until the mixture thickens and the whisk leaves a trail on the surface.1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 5 tbsp (40g) all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt, 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool down at room temperature. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps before using.1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cream butter, brown sugar and ground cinnamon until light and fluffy, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Gradually add the boiled flour/milk mixture, whisking on high speed for 3-4 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy.1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Assemble the gingerbread cake
- Spread or pipe a generous amount of frosting over the bottom cake layer and top with the second, pressing down lightly so they stick together.
- Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake and use a side scraper to smooth it. Stick gingerbread cookies around the cake to create a Christmas village and dust with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.gingerbread cookies, powdered sugar
Notes
- Prep ahead: You can bake the two gingerbread cake layers up to two days in advance. Let them cool for 15 minutes or until barely warm, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.
- Store the assembled cake in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-4 days, but make sure to bring it back to room temperature before serving so the frosting can soften.
- Tip: the gingerbread cookies will slowly soften from the moisture of the frosting. If you want the cookies to stay crisp, place them on the cake right before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 981IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
