Glorified Gingerbread Cake Food

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CARAMEL BISCUIT ICING

Steps:

• Measure the milk and treacle into a saucepan (grease the measuring spoon with a little oil first and the treacle will easily slide off). Bring to a gentle simmer and stir until combined, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, grease 3 x 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins with a little oil and line the bases with baking parchment (if you don't have enough cake tins, see tip). If the tins are any shallower than 4cm, line the sides with a deep collar too. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Measure the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and spices into a large bowl, then add ½ tsp fine salt. Mix the dry ingredients together with a large whisk; if there are any large lumps of sugar, squeeze these through your fingers until you have an even, sandy-textured mixture.
• In a jug, whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, rum and vanilla. Add the milk and treacle mixture, and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and whisk into a smooth batter. Divide between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. You may have to swap the cakes over to cook evenly, but don't do this until they've had at least 20 mins cooking. Cool the cakes in their tins for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack, peel off the parchment and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, you can wrap the sponges in cling film and store in a cool place for 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months - the texture and flavour will be all the better for it.
• To make the icing, put the butter and half the icing sugar in a large bowl. Mash together roughly with a spatula, then whizz with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar, the cream cheese, vanilla bean extract and biscuit spread. Mix again until smooth and evenly mixed. Transfer half the icing to another bowl and set aside. Use the remaining icing to stack the cakes and cover the entire outside in a thin layer - don't worry about making the cake look too neat at this stage, as any crumbs trapped in the icing will be covered in the final coat. Chill the cake for 30 mins and the remaining icing for 20 mins (remove the icing from the fridge 10 mins before the cake to soften a little).
• When the icing on the cake is firm, remove it from the fridge and use the remaining icing to cover the cake. Smooth the sides using a palette knife, but leave peaks and dips on top for your snow scene. Top the cake generously with desiccated coconut, a dusting of sieved icing sugar and some edible glitter, if you like, then decorate the top and sides with gingerbread shapes (see tip). If you're not eating the cake within a few hours, store it in the fridge, but bring back to room temperature before serving. Wlll keep for 2 days.

GLORIFIED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 8 or 9-inch square baking dish.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the shortening and sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg and mix on low just until incorporated. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture in a small bowl.
• Add egg, molasses, buttermilk, and baking soda to the mixing bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until smooth - about 30 seconds.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the reserved flour and spice mixture evenly over the top.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, slice into squares and serve.

GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• For the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the molasses and hot water until fully combined. Whisk in the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into dry mixture and whisk just until no dry streaks are left (do not over mix).
• Spray a 13x9-inch cake pan with baking spray (or grease with butter). Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
• For the frosting: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer (or use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment) until fully combined, about 1 minute. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the lemon zest and continue beating until light and fluffy, 1 more minute. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Garnish with candied ginger and gold sparkling sugar, if desired.

SPICY, AMAZING GINGERBREAD CAKE.

Steps:

• Sift first 6 ingredients together in a bowl, set aside.
• Heat all butter, molasses and golden syrup in a small saucepan, simmer until butter is melted, stirring continuously.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Pour the melted ingredients in a thin stream over flour mixture stirring constantly.
• When smooth, add the eggs 1 by 1 stirring after each addition.
• Put into 7 x 12 cake pan and bake for 35-40 mnutes until tester comes out clean (like a knife).

FAVORITE OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

COUSIN EDNA'S GLORIFIED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 9x9-inch square pan. In large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, shortening, ginger, and cinnamon until crumbs form. Set aside 1/2 cup of this mixture.
• Make a hole in remaining crumb mixture and add egg, molasses, milk, soda, and salt. Mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top, smoothing with a spoon.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Put the sugar into a large bowl. Beat the softened butter into the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating to incorporate. Then, while constantly beating, add the honey, spices and flour. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them into the batter with the baking powder, walnuts, almonds and candied orange.
• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 4. Butter and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin and tip in the cake batter - it should come no more than halfway up the tin. Put in the oven and lower the temperature to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 and bake for 50 mins-1 hr or until a skewer poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• To make the topping, put the butter into a saucepan, add 2 tbsp cold water, the sugar and the cocoa. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 mins. Take off the heat and, stirring constantly, pour in the cognac. Coat the cooled gingerbread with the glaze and set aside to cool.

GLORIFIED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix sugar, shortening, flour, spices, and salt as for pie crust. Divide dough in half and set aside.
• Add remaining ingredients to half of the dough. Place in a greased 9 inch square pan. Sprinkle the other half of the dough over mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in pan and then cut into bars.

GINGERBREAD & HONEY LOAF

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and butter and line a 900g loaf tin. Put the honey, butter and sugar in a saucepan and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour in the milk and vanilla, then set aside to cool.
• Tip the flour into a bowl with the baking powder, spices and a pinch of salt. Add the egg, then gently fold in along with the melted butter mixture. Once combined, tip into the prepared tin, place on a baking tray, and bake for 40 mins until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then place on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F Butter 9-inch square metal baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
• Mix warm water and baking soda in small bowl until baking soda dissolves. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, molasses, eggs, and fresh ginger in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with water mixture in 2 additions, beating until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto rack; cool. Peel off parchment.
• For glaze:
• Bring first 3 ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla; stir until smooth. Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
• Place cake on rack set atop baking sheet. Reserve 1/2 cup glaze. Pour remaining glaze over cake, spreading with spatula to coat top and sides. Chill cake and reserved glaze until reserved glaze is just firm enough to pipe, about 1 hour.
• Transfer reserved glaze to pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe 5 diagonal lines atop cake, spacing evenly. Cluster crystallized ginger atop lines. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.).