Triple Ginger Crabapple Spice Cake Food

TRIPLE-GINGER LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment. Mix flour, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat just until batter is smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run small knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Peel off parchment.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add brown sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger and vanilla; beat until well blended. Mix in 1/4 cup crystallized ginger.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup crystallized ginger decoratively atop cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.)

CHEWY TRIPLE GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• heat oven to 350
• combine flour, powdered ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt and cayenne if using. set aside.
• cream brown sugar, shortening and butter until fluffy.
• add eggs molasses and beat until blended.
• add flour mixture just until blended.
• gently stir in crystalized ginger and fresh ginger.
• cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
• shape dough in 1 inch balls and roll in white sugar or powdered sugar -- or nothing and place on a baking sheet. may flatten SLIGHTLY not too much or they loose thier chewiness, or not at all.
• bake 8-10 minute cookies will be soft. check at 8 min.DO NOT OVERBAKE.