Christmas Spice Sheet Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

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This Moist Spice Sheet Cake is the perfect Christmas dessert featuring warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, topped with luxurious Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting. Whether you’re looking for a show-stopping Christmas spice cake with cream cheese frosting for your holiday party or an easy bourbon spice cake for Thanksgiving, this recipe delivers every time.

It’s time to put the fruity desserts to the side and bring in the warm and spicy desserts that are perfect for Fall and the holiday season. I love fall and Christmas desserts because of the warmth and comfort that comes with those flavors. The best part of this easy spice sheet cake recipe is the simplicity and the bourbon frosting that tops it all off—it’s guaranteed to become your go-to holiday cake!

Why This Spice Sheet Cake is Perfect for Christmas & Holidays

This spice sheet cake has become my favorite Christmas dessert for several reasons:

Feeds a Crowd: The 9×13 sheet cake format serves 12-15 people easily, making it ideal for Christmas parties, potlucks, and family gatherings. No fancy slicing required—just cut squares and serve!

Make-Ahead Friendly: You can bake this Christmas spice cake the day before your event. The bourbon cream cheese frosting actually tastes better after the flavors meld overnight in the refrigerator.

Holiday Spice Profile: The combination of pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and cinnamon creates that warm, festive flavor everyone craves during the holidays. It’s like Christmas in cake form!

Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting: The star of this recipe! The bourbon adds a sophisticated, woodsy depth that pairs beautifully with the sweet cream cheese frosting. Don’t worry—the alcohol mostly cooks off, leaving just the flavor.

Alternatives to Traditional Christmas Desserts: If you’re tired of the same old Christmas cookies and pies, this bourbon spice cake offers something different while still feeling festive and seasonal.

What Makes This Christmas Spice Sheet Cake So Special

This homemade spice sheet cake uses simple pantry staples, but a few key ingredients transform it into something truly memorable for your holiday table. Here’s what you’ll need and why each ingredient matters:

The Dry Ingredients:

Cake Flour: This creates an incredibly tender crumb that practically melts in your mouth. Cake flour has less protein than all-purpose flour, resulting in a softer, more delicate texture—perfect for a festive dessert. Don’t have cake flour? You can make your own by replacing 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour per cup with cornstarch.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is your secret weapon for that signature Christmas spice cake flavor. Pumpkin pie spice typically contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves—all the warm holiday spices in one convenient jar. While this isn’t technically a pumpkin cake, this spice blend creates that cozy, festive flavor we all crave during the holidays.

Ground Ginger: Extra ginger adds a pleasant warmth and slight bite that balances the sweetness of the frosting beautifully. Fresh ginger flavor is what makes this cake taste sophisticated rather than one-dimensional.

Ground Cinnamon: A little extra cinnamon never hurt anyone! This amplifies the warm, comforting flavors and makes your kitchen smell absolutely amazing while baking.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These two leaveners work together to create the perfect rise and tender texture. The baking soda also reacts with the acidity in the applesauce and brown sugar for extra lift.

The Wet Ingredients:

Unsweetened Applesauce: This is the moisture magic in this bourbon spice cake recipe! Applesauce keeps the cake incredibly moist without making it heavy or dense. You won’t taste the apple at all—it simply ensures every bite melts in your mouth. You can substitute with mashed banana or shredded zucchini (squeeze out excess moisture first) if needed.

Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle molasses flavor that complements the spices perfectly. It also helps create that tender, soft crumb texture. Don’t substitute with white sugar—you’ll lose depth of flavor.

Vegetable Oil: Oil keeps cakes moister longer than butter, which is why this Christmas spice sheet cake tastes amazing even the next day. It also creates a tender crumb. You can use canola oil, melted coconut oil, or even melted butter if you prefer.

Large Eggs: Eggs provide structure, richness, and help bind everything together. Make sure they’re at room temperature for better incorporation into the batter.

Pure Vanilla Extract: Always use pure vanilla, not imitation. It enhances all the other flavors and adds depth to your spice cake.

For the Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese (full-fat): This must be fully softened to room temperature—leave it out for at least an hour. Full-fat cream cheese provides the best flavor and texture. Low-fat versions make the frosting too thin and less flavorful.

Unsalted Butter (softened): Butter adds richness and helps create a silky-smooth frosting texture. Make sure it’s softened, not melted.

Powdered Sugar: Also called confectioners’ sugar, this dissolves easily and creates a smooth frosting without any grittiness. Sift it if it’s lumpy.

Bourbon: This is what elevates this from a simple spice cake to something truly special! The bourbon adds a sophisticated, woodsy, slightly smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with the cream cheese and spices. Use a good quality bourbon—I recommend something mid-range like Maker’s Mark or Buffalo Trace. The alcohol mostly evaporates, leaving just the complex flavor notes.

Heavy Cream: This helps achieve the perfect spreading consistency while adding extra richness to the frosting.

Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and enhance all the other flavors.

Tips for the Best Spice Sheet Cake

• Don’t Overmix: Once you combine wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing creates a tough cake.

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature for better incorporation and a lighter texture.

• Test for Doneness: Ovens vary! Start checking at 35 minutes. The toothpick should come out with just a few moist crumbs.

• Cool Completely: This is crucial! Frosting a warm cake will cause the bourbon cream cheese frosting to melt and slide off.
• Soften That Cream Cheese: Leave cream cheese and butter out for at least 1 hour before making frosting for the smoothest, lump-free results.

The Star: Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

Now, this is my favorite part and what makes this Christmas spice cake truly special! I honestly don’t think Bourbon is used enough in holiday baking. I don’t drink the stuff, but I love the woodsy, smokey, spicy smell of Bourbon. Those flavors can only make anything it is added to taste amazing!

This bourbon cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to the spiced cake—creamy, tangy, slightly sweet, and with just a hint of that bourbon warmth. It’s sophisticated enough for adult holiday parties but universally loved by everyone.

Pro Tip: If you’re concerned about the bourbon flavor, start with 3 tablespoons and taste. You can always add more! For a non-alcoholic version, substitute bourbon with 1 teaspoon bourbon extract plus 4 tablespoons heavy cream.

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Similar Recipes

If you like spicy dessert recipes like this, you’ll love the ones below:

• Caramel Apple Layered Cake
• Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Apple Spice Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
• Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes

Commonly Asked Questions

Recipe partially adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

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