Cakes and Cupcakes

Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake

Name: Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 26 min
Yield: 10 – 12 slices
Ingredients: 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; 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar; 5 tbsp 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; gingerbread cookies; powdered sugar ((= icing sugar))

We’re taking classic gingerbread cake and giving it the full festive treatment: two layers of tender gingerbread sponge, sandwiched and topped with whipped ermine frosting, then wrapped in crunchy gingerbread cookies. It looks like a…

Serves 10 – 12 slices
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 16 minutes
Total 26 minutes

Jump to the recipe

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 🙂

A slice of layered gingerbread cake with ermine frosting and sprinkled with white sugar crystals sits on a white plate, with a fork nearby and warm fairy lights in the blurred background.

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.

Top-down view of baking ingredients for Air Fryer Gingerbread Cake in bowls: light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, orange juice and zest, baking powder and soda, spices with salt, milk, unsalted butter, molasses (treacle), and two large eggs.

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.

Four-step collage showing gingerbread cake batter being made: mixing dry ingredients, blending with a hand mixer, adding eggs and liquid ingredients, then beating everything into a smooth batter with an electric mixer.

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.

A four-panel image shows hands ermine frosting: pouring milk into flour in a pot, whisking mixture, adding cinnamon to creamed mix with electric mixer, and combining all ingredients with the mixer.

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.

A four-step photo collage shows a cake being decorated: frosting is spread on a round cake, then the whole cake is frosted, and rectangular cookies shaped like buildings are pressed onto the sides.

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.

A round layered cake decorated with rectangular cookies around the sides, topped with powdered sugar. A single slice has been removed and is placed in front, showing the cookie detail.

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.

Gingerbread trifle decorated with a gingerbread house and cookies

The book cover of Easy Air Fryer Bakes by Lucy Parissi, creator of Nusde.com

Recipe

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!

Serves 10 – 12 slices
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 16 minutes
Total 26 minutes

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 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))

Method

Make the cake

1
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
Add the butter and beat on low speed using a hand or stand mixer until you have a sandy texture.
3
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.
4
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).
5
Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the frosting

6
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.
7
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.
8
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.

Assemble the gingerbread cake

9
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.
10
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.

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.