A rich and decadent chocolate spice cake with a flavorful ginger buttercream frosting. Three layers all decked out for the holidays with iced gingerbread cookie decorations and sugar-dusted fresh rosemary Christmas trees!

This holiday chocolate spice cake is kind of my grown-up version of decorating a gingerbread house. It’s fun and festive, with three layers of generously spiced chocolate cake, a fresh and flavorful ginger buttercream frosting, and iced gingerbread cookie toppers.

And, unlike most gingerbread houses – sturdy, and spackled, and I suppose technically edible – you’ll actually want to eat this when you’re done!

No, devour. Because this chocolate cake is rich, and moist, and full of all the flavors of gingerbread and the holidays – cinnamon, cloves, fresh and dried ginger, molasses, vanilla, and cocoa.

We could just stop there and all be very happy, but then we’d be leaving off what might be my favorite element, the ginger buttercream. It’s incredibly ginger-y and oh, so delicious, and I currently want to slather it on every sweet treat I bake.