Gingerbread Cake W Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Food

ORANGE GINGERBREAD WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch square (or 9-inch round) baking pan. Line with parchment paper and grease and flour the parchment paper. The parchment paper isn't entirely necessary, it just makes the cake easier to remove from the pan. Set pan aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs until thick and pale. Stir in molasses, honey, and orange zest.
• Add the dry ingredients, all at once, to the wet ingredients. Stir together until entirely incorporated. Add the warm water and gently stir until entirely incorporated and the mixture is silky smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If you find that the mixture fills the pan more than three-quarters of the way full, you might consider using a larger pan (a 9 or 10-inch pan may serve your better).
• Bake cake for 35-45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• While the cake bakes, make the cream cheese frosting.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese (yea... just the cream cheese) on medium speed. The cream cheese should be as soft and smooth as possible. Stop the mixer. Add the softened butter. Scraped down the sides of the bowl and beat the two together over medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add one cup of powdered sugar. Blend until incorporated. Add vanilla extract (and bean, if using) and remaining cup of powdered sugar. Beat on medium high speed until frosting is smooth and silky.
• Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting the cake. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds before serving.
• This cake can be stored, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a parchment round.
• Stir together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine the brown sugar and butter in another large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined (it's fine if the mixture looks a little curdled).
• Stir the molasses into the boiling water in a large spouted measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the molasses mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium and beat just until smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 22 to 27 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack. Once cool, invert the cakes onto the rack, then peel off and discard the parchment.
• For the frosting: Combine the butter and cream cheese in a clean mixer bowl. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the confectioner's' sugar, beating until combined. Add the vanilla and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding up to 1 tablespoon of milk if needed so the frosting is spreadable.
• Place one cake layer flat-side down on a cake stand or platter. Top with about 3/4 cup of the frosting, spreading almost to the edges using an offset spatula. Place the remaining cake layer on top, flat-side up. Spread the remaining frosting on the entire cake and smooth the top and sides with the offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake while you decorate the gingerbread cookies.
• For the decorations: Meanwhile, microwave the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl until just melted. (Alternatively, melt the chips in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; do not let bowl touch the water.) Let cool slightly and put into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (or use a plastic ziptop bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe eyes and smiles on the gingerbread cookie faces.
• Arrange the merry gingerbread men side by side around the bottom edge of the cake, pressing in slightly to adhere. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the nonpareils.

ORANGE-SCENTED CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment, butter again and dust the whole pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Put the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the granulated sugar and orange zest and pulse a few times to combine evenly. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, with some pea-size bits of butter.
• Whisk the milk, vanilla and eggs together in a small bowl or measuring cup with a spout. With the processor running, pour in the milk mixture and process until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans and invert the cakes onto the rack. Peel off the parchment and cool completely.
• Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners? sugar, vanilla and salt and gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low beat in the cream and then continue beating until the frosting is creamy and thick, about 1 more minute.
• Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate, and spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Top with the other cake layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

LEMON GINGER CAKE W/ LEMON-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For Cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.
• Line bottom of pans with waxed paper; butter paper.
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Mix in lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla (mixture may look curdled).
• Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, beginning with dry ingredients.
• Divide batter equally between prepared pans.
• Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer pans to racks.
• Cool 10 minutes.
• Using small sharp knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cakes.
• Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
• Peel off waxed paper.
• (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.) For Frosting: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon peel and vanilla in large bowl until smooth.
• Add powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter.
• Spread 1 cup frosting over top.
• Place remaining cake layer atop.
• Using icing spatula, spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake in decorative swirls.
• Sprinkle top of cake with remaining 1 teaspoon lemon peel.
• (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.).

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• CAKE: Place 1/3 cup sugar and butter in a medium bowl; beat at high speed for 2 minutes or until well combined. Add molasses and egg; beat well.
• Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cloves) in a medium bowl.
• Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Spoon batter into an 8-inch square pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• FROSTING: Place cheeses, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar; beat at low speed JUST until blended.
• Spread frosting evenly over top of cake.
• Top each serving with Lemon Curd.

ORANGE GINGER FROSTING

Steps:

• Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and confectioners' sugar, beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add orange zest, grated ginger, and salt. Beat an additional 5 minutes.

CARROT-GINGER LAYER CAKE WITH ORANGE CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper and butter. Dust pans with flour and tap out any excess. Set aside. Spread pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking pan and toast in oven until lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand until completely cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Finely chop pecans and set aside.
• Place carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, and ginger in a large bowl; mix until well combined.
• Into a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until combined. Fold in the butter and toasted pecans.
• Divide batter between the two cake pans and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove pans from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so surfaces are level. Place a layer on a cake stand or cardboard round and spread 3/4 cup frosting over top. Place the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of assembled cake. Transfer to refrigerator and chill 3 to 4 hours.
• For the candied carrot strips, set a wire rack over a baking pan. Using fingers, lift one candied carrot strip from the sugar syrup, holding it over the container. With the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, gently squeeze the carrot strip and slide your fingers along its length, removing as much excess syrup as possible; lay the carrot strip on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining carrot strips.
• Decorate cake with candied carrot strips as desired. Cut cake and serve.