Christmas / 17 November, 2025 / Ellie Thompson

Naked Gingerbread Wreath Cake

Wow your guests with this gingerbread cake – a stunning alternative to traditional Christmas cake. The sticky-sweetness of treacle, syrup and festive spices combine with the luxurious buttercream and decorative wreath to make this Christmas recipe a complete showstopper.

• Serves 14
• 10 mins to prepare and 50 mins to cook, plus cooling
• 655 calories/serving
• Vegetarian

Ingredients

• 100g black treacle
• 100g golden syrup
• 250g light brown muscovado sugar
• 250g unsalted butter
• 4 medium eggs
• 250ml milk
• 400g plain flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 lemon, zested

For the buttercream and decoration

• 250g butter, softened
• 1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped out
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• handful fresh rosemary
• handful fresh thyme
• handful sage sprigs
• 100g cranberries
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Grease and line the base and sides of 2 x 20cm round cake tins with nonstick baking paper. In a large pan set over a medium heat, melt the treacle, syrup, sugar and butter, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool for 10 mins.

Put the eggs and milk in a mixing bowl and beat, using an electric whisk. Beat in the cooled treacle mixture, then sift over the remaining dry ingredients and fold in, along with the lemon zest, until just combined.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20-25 mins, until risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 mins, before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

For the buttercream, beat the butter and vanilla seeds in a bowl. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating until pale and fluffy; set aside.

Using a serrated knife, cut the sponges in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Sandwich the sponges together with a layer of buttercream, then spread the top with a slightly thicker layer to cover. Thinly spread the remaining buttercream around the sides, scraping off the excess to achieve a ‘naked’ look.

To make a decorative wreath, weave the fresh herbs in a circle and arrange on top of the cake. Rinse the cranberries, then roll in the sugar. Arrange in and around the wreath.

Tip: To make the sponges less crumbly before icing, or even to save time on the day, you can bake them up to 2 days in advance, wait for them to cool and then wrap them in foil and baking paper, before storing them somewhere cool.

Recipe from Tesco Real Food. See more Adventurous Christmas baking recipes.

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