Gingerbread Icebox Cake With Blood Orange Syrup Food

GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly butter a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, molasses, and crystallized ginger. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
• In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Whisk the molasses mixture into the flour mixture until evenly combined.
• In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Whisk the hot water into the batter until just combined. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake in the center of the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH BRANDY SAUCE AND WHIPPED ORANGE FLOWER CREAM

Steps:

• Line 24 cupcake tins with foil liners in your choice of colors (red and green are pretty for the holidays). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, molasses. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Stir in ginger
• In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Whisk the molasses mixture into the flour mixture until evenly combined.
• In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Whisk the hot water into the batter until just combined. Transfer the batter into the prepared tins. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 28 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.
• Whipped Orange Flower Cream: In a cold bowl, beat whipping cream with orange flower water, and add sugar and cream of tartar gradually. Beat until stiff.
• For Brandy sauce: melt butter over medium heat. Add brandy. Blend in confectioners' sugar.
• Serve cupcakes with whipped cream and brandy sauce.

GINGERBREAD ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower positions. On generously floured pieces of parchment paper, roll out dough to about 1/16 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze 10 minutes.
• Using a 2 3/8-inch fluted cutter, cut out rounds, rerolling scraps to get a total of 72. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze 10 minutes.
• Bake cookies 5 minutes. Remove sheets from oven; tap pans firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back; bake until cookies are set and edges have darkened slightly, about 5 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool completely.
• With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla just until stiff peaks form. Arrange 7 cookies in a circle on a cake stand or a serving plate, sides touching; place 1 cookie in center. Spread 3/4 cup whipped cream over cookies, leaving a 3/4-inch cookie border. Repeat, making 8 more layers each of cookies and whipped cream. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Just before serving, spoon some of the oranges and their syrup over top. Serve remaining oranges on the side.

UPSIDE-DOWN BLOOD ORANGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons (45 grams) butter. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice; stir until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
• Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from one of the oranges, then slice off the tops and bottoms of both oranges. Place oranges on a clean, flat surface, and slice away the rind and pith, top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Slice each orange crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick wheels; discard any seeds. Arrange orange wheels on top of brown sugar mixture in a single, tight layer.
• In a large bowl, whisk together orange zest, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together remaining 2 sticks (225 grams) butter with granulated sugar. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the dry mixture by hand.
• Scrape batter into pan over oranges. Transfer to oven and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife along pan's edges to loosen it; invert onto a platter and cool completely before serving.

SYRUPY BLOOD ORANGES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orange slices, and cook until semi-translucent, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet.
• Cut a round of parchment paper to fit in a large, shallow saucepan. Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Carefully add orange slices, and place parchment directly on surface. Reduce heat, and simmer gently until oranges have softened and liquid is syrupy, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and let oranges cool in syrup. Halve or quarter some of the orange slices if desired.

ORANGE ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Combine sugar and water, bring to a boil and cook until it thickens to a syrup.
• Dissolve gelatin in 1 cup of water, stir into syrup and cool.
• Stir fruit and juices into the cooled mixture.
• Add marshmallows and 1 pint of cream to a chilled bowl, beat until soft peaks form.
• Fold whipped cream and pecans into fruit mixture.
• Line a large angel food or tube pan with waxed paper.
• Line the prepared pan with lady fingers, spoon in the fruit cream mixture, cover and chill 4-5 hours or overnight.
• To serve, unmold the cake on a serving plate, frost with whipped cream and sprinkle with coconut.

GINGERBREAD ICEBOX CAKE WITH BLOOD-ORANGE SYRUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to 1/16 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze for 10 minutes.
• Using a 2 3/8-inch fluted cutter, cut out 72 rounds. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze 10 minutes.
• Bake cookies for 5 minutes. Remove sheets from oven, and tap them firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until cookies are set and edges have darkened slightly, about 5 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
• Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla just until stiff peaks form. Arrange 7 cookies in a circle on a cake stand or a serving plate (cookies should be touching one another). Place 1 cookie in center. Carefully spread 3/4 cup whipped cream evenly over cookies, leaving a 3/4-inch cookie border. Repeat, making 8 more layers each of cookies and whipped cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Just before serving, spoon some of the oranges and their syrup over top. Serve remaining oranges on the side.