How to Cut Up a Cake to Make a Gingerbread Man

You can use gingerbread man imagery when you bake holiday treats without actually making gingerbread. Instead of baking ginger and molasses-infused cookies, shape gingerbread man cakes in any cake flavor you desire. Whether you want to craft mini cakes or bake one large gingerbread man, cake will prove as formidable a medium as gingerbread cookies. After you cut the cakes into man-shape pieces, decorate the cake or mini cakes with traditional gingerbread man details to realize the classic image. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

9-inch by13-inch sheet cake, baked and cooled
8-inch or 9-inch round cake, baked and cooled, if needed
Man-shaped cookie cutter
Paper
Pencil
Scissors
Gingerbread man illustration, if needed
Knife
Platter or baking sheet
Frosting
Decorative embellishments, such as candy or raisins

Instructions

- 1
  
  Bake a standard 9-inch by 13-inch sheet cake. Bake an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake, as well, if you are assembling one large gingerbread man.
- 2
  
  Cool the cake to room temperature.
- 3
  
  Make a paper template for a large gingerbread man body, if needed. Draw a 9-inch by 13-inch rectangle. Sketch triangles around the interior edges to shape the gaps between the body, arms and legs. Follow an illustration as a guide. Cut the template out of the paper with scissors.
- 4
  
  Cut gingerbread man shapes with a cookie cutter to make mini cakes. Shape the sheet cake to look like one gingerbread man body by trimming along the edges of the cake with a knife. Lay the paper template on top of the cake. Cut around the template with the knife to shape the body and limbs. Trim the round cake to a 5-inch diameter to make the head.
- 5
  
  Arrange the body and head pieces on a platter or baking sheet. Place the round cake immediately beside the top of the cake body.
- 6
  
  Decorate the cakes with frosting and other edible embellishments.