Orange Gingerbread Cake With 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.

CARROT CAKE WITH GINGER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt onto a large piece of parchment (or into a medium bowl). Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and add the eggs, one at a time; beat until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the applesauce, orange zest and vanilla and beat until just smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the carrots and 3/4 cup walnuts and beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove to the rack to cool completely; remove the parchment. (The cake layers can be made a day ahead; let cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap.)
• Make the frosting: Peel the ginger and grate onto a piece of cheesecloth. Wrap in the cheesecloth and squeeze the juice into a small bowl (you should get about 1 tablespoon). Add the orange juice and vanilla to the bowl. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the juice mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until smooth, about 2 more minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer on a platter, rounded-side down. Spread with 1 cup frosting, then top with the second cake layer, rounded-side down. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Press the remaining walnuts into the sides of the cake. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

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.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, until smooth.
• Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 3 more minutes.
• Add the food coloring and gently stir until the color is uniform.
• Chill the frosting until ready to ice the cupcakes or cake.

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 & POPPY SEED CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl.
• Sift in flour and mix to combine.
• Add orange rind, carrot, almond meal and poppy seeds and stir together.
• Spoon mixtue into a cake tin lined with baking paper.
• Cook for 20 minutes or untill golden and cooked through the center. Check with a metal skwerer or knive.
• For frosting mix all ingrediants in a bowl until no lumps and spread with a knive over the top of cake after it has had time to cool.

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.

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.

ORANGE GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 cake pan with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil and grease and flour the foil. Set pan aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons 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 the mixture is silky smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 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 on medium speed until smooth. Stop the mixer and add the softened butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat over medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add one cup of powdered sugar and blend until incorporated. Add vanilla extract (and the paste from inside the scraped bean, if using) and remaining cup of powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is smooth and silky.
• Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on wire rack. Allow to cool completely 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:

• 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.