Gingerbread Cake

For a festive goûter this holiday season I made a gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting. This cake is bursting with winter spices and rich molasses and everybody loves the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven. There are lots of decorating ideas you can incorporate into the design..I went with candied oranges, sugared cranberries and sparkling rosemary branches.

Gingerbread Cake

*Adapted from Ella Claire

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 1/2 cups molasses

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup boiling water

• 2/3 cup (150g) salted butter room temperature

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 3 eggs

  Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting

• 150g unsalted butter room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 200g cream cheese, cold

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° (178°c) Grease and flour three 8inch round cake pans. Sift together the flour, spices and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl whisk together the molasses, oil and boiling water and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternate adding the flour mixture with the molasses mixture into the butter mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  2. Make cream cheese frosting while cakes cool on a wire rack. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter until pale and fluffy (2 minutes) Slowly add in the powdered sugar and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add in the cream cheese and beat until combined.

  3. For cake assembly, place the first cake layer on your cake stand. Add a few spoonfuls of frosting and smooth out with your palette knife. Place the next cake round on top and repeat. For the top cake layer increase the amount of frosting and smooth into thick swirls with your palette knife. Garnish your cake with candied oranges, cranberries and rosemary for a festive look.