This gingerbread man cake is perfect for the holidays! It bakes up so delicious and is tons of fun to decorate with homemade gingerbread buttercream!!
Make the sheet cake in advance and freeze it. This breaks the process up and makes this recipe more approachable.
Make the frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
In an airtight container, this cake can sit out at room temp for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
You can also use this recipe to bake a 12x17-in (half-sheet) cake pan, but the bake time will be shorter! Bake for about 25 minutes at 325°F/162°C.
If you want to make gingerbread cupcakes, I recommend baking them at 350F / 175C for 18-21 minutes. One batch of batter will make about 3 dozen cupcakes (yield will vary based on the size of your liners).
If you want to make a gingerbread layer cake, I recommend baking 3, 8-inch cake layers at 350F / 175C for 32-35 minutes.