One day in advance, make gingerbread cookies. Prepare gingerbread cookie dough following recipe instructions. Using cookie cutter set, cut dough. Bake and cool.

Decorate cookies. Prepare decorating bag with coupler and royal icing. Using tip 2, pipe details on gingerbread men. Switch to tip 4. Pipe details on house and trees. Let cookies dry 8 to 10 hours, or overnight.

Bake cakes. Prepare cake batter following recipe instructions. Bake and cool two cake layers. Trim both layers to 1½ in. high. Fill and stack layers for 3 in. high cake. Ice cake smooth.

Decorate cake. Prepare decorating bag with white icing. Cut ¾ in. tip in bag. Arrange cookies as desired on top of cake. Using bag, pipe mounds of icing behind cookies to help prop up.

Add spice drops around top edge of cake, alternating between red and green candies. Add mini gingerbread icing decorations around bottom edge of cake.