USA Gingerbread Cookie Cake

Deck the halls this season with a soft gingerbread cookie cake and classic royal icing! Bake, decorate, and serve right in your USA Plate!

Nothing says holiday cheer like the classic flavors of gingerbread. From cookie cut-outs to elaborately adorned gingerbread houses, this Christmastime staple has a memory in every bite. We took notes from traditional gingerbread recipes and made a cookie cake that bakes perfectly in our USA Plate while still capturing those special flavors of the original. 

This gingerbread cookie cake is perfectly soft and chewy with a balance of spice and molasses. If you’ve never baked gingerbread, you may be wondering if the ground black pepper is a typo, but we assure you, it’s not! Black pepper is used in gingerbread to add a little extra spice, complimenting the light kick of ground ginger. In combination with cinnamon and cloves, these spices come together with the unique flavor we’ve grown to love during the holidays!

USA Gingerbread Cookie Cake Recipe

Serves 8-10

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 25-30 min

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup molasses 
• 1 large egg
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼  teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Royal Icing

• 1 lb confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 5 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray your USA plate with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg and molasses and beat until the egg is fully incorporated. 
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and ground pepper. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix on low just until combined. 
4. Press the dough in the prepared dish in an even layer and place the dish on a baking sheet. This allows you to remove the pan from the oven easily. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown and the center is set. 
5. To make the Icing: Add the sugar, merengue powder, and water to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low until speed for, about 7-10 minutes. At 7 minutes, check the consistancy. If it’s too stiff you can add additional water, ½ teaspoon at a time, and mix, until the icing thins to desired consistency. 
6. Add the icing to a piping bag and decorate!

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