This Gingerbread Traybake is a yummy moist sheet cake filled with ginger flavour. It's so easy and simple to make in a traybake tin. I also find traybake cakes (also known as sheet cakes) so much easier to cut up and serve! I've topped the cake with a sweet ginger buttercream and some cute little gingerbread men. If you're looking for an easy crowd pleaser at Christmastime, this Gingerbread Traybake will delight people of all ages. It would also be a fun bake to make with the kids, they will love icing the little gingerbread men in particular!

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
I really recommend using light brown soft sugar if you can for the cake, but if you can't get hold of it, caster sugar will work well too.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Gingerbread Traybake

Start by melting the butter, light brown sugar, black treacle and golden syrup together in a pan on a low heat. Let it cool down for around 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisked together the eggs and milk. Then add the melted butter mixture to the eggs, whisking as you pour.

In another mixing bowl, stir together the self raising flour, ground ginger and mixed spice. Then add the butter/egg mixture and whisk everything together well. Pour the mixture into a traybake tin and bake until risen and golden.

To decorate the traybake, make a ginger buttercream and some mini gingerbread men biscuits. For the biscuits, put plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and butter in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the mixture together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then add ground ginger, mixed spice, and light brown sugar and stir it in.

In a pan, gently heat golden syrup. Make a well in the flour mixture, and pour in the golden syrup, then add the milk. Combine the mixture together until a dough forms. Then wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.

Cut out the biscuits and bake them until golden.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How long does the cake last for and can you freeze it?

The cake will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze both the cake and the buttercream, and the biscuits too. To freeze them separately, wrap the cake well in cling film or put it in an airtight container. The buttercream can be frozen in a sealed tub andthe biscuits can be frozen in a tub or freezer bag. To freeze the cake decorated, freeze on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Remove the clingfilm when you take the cake out of the freezer to defrost, as if it defrosts with it still on it could damage the appearance of the buttercream.

Can you make this cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

What size tin do you need?

This recipe is best made in a 12" x 9" (36.5cm x 26cm) traybake tin with deep sides (4cm or 1.5"). However, if you'd prefer to make it in a smaller 9" square tin, check the recipe card notes section for details on how to change the measurements and baking time.

How do you remove a traybake cake from the tin?

The best way to ensure an easy removal of the cake from the tin, is to line the tin with baking paper. I grease the tin first with a little butter to help the paper stick to it. If you let the paper hang over the sides by an inch or so, you can easily grip the over hang and pull the cake out once it's cooled down.

How many people does this cake serve?

It completely depends how you slice it up, which is great because it makes this such a versatile cake for parties and gatherings. I love a big chunk of cake so I cut it into 12 slices, but for a party you may prefer to cut it into smaller slices so it feeds more people. You can cut into 16 slices, or even 24 slices. If you are doing smaller slices, cut it up before you add the biscuits on top so you don't have to try and cut through them.

Can this cake be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! To make the cake gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. To make the biscuits gluten free, use a gluten free plain flour blend, you may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for both the cake, biscuits and buttercream. Please also check the labels of all the ingredients you use to avoid cross contamination, and especially if you are serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this cake be made into cupcakes or a larger cake?

Yes, to make this recipe into cupcakes check out my Gingerbread Cupcakes recipe for details. Or for a larger cake you might like my Gingerbread Cake with Ginger Buttercream.

More tips for making the Gingerbread Traybake:

If you don't want to make the biscuits you could also decorate with shop bought biscuits, gingerbread royal icing decorations, crystallised ginger or crushed ginger nut biscuits.
The biscuits will go soft from being in contact with the buttercream (gingerbread is a fairly soft biscuit anyway) so add them right before serving.
I spread the buttercream onto the cake, but you could pipe it on if you prefer.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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