gingerbread-layer-cake

This gorgeous Gingerbread Layer Cake is sure to elevate your Christmas spread. The gingerbread shapes are adorable on top, and because the cake doesn’t contain molasses, it is lighter than a traditional gingerbread cake. It is perfect for an Australian summer Christmas.

Ingredients:

Ginger Cake

400g Honey

320ml full cream milk

280g brown sugar

500g Western Star Chef’s Choice Butter

450g plain flour

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp bi-carb soda

2 tbsp ground ginger

Gingerbread biscuits

50ml water

100g soft brown sugar

90g golden syrup

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

125g Western Star Chef’s Choice Butter, diced

½ tsp bi-carb soda

275g plain flour, sifted

Gingerbread icing

One egg white

150g icing sugar, sifted

Orange Butter Cream

500g Western Star Chef’s Choice Butter, softened

500g icing sugar, sifted

2 tbsp full cream milk, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

The zest of 1 orange

Assembly

Gingerbread cake

Orange buttercream

Gingerbread biscuits

Method:

Ginger Cake

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line two 23cm cake tins in baking paper.
2. Place all ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer. (Note: depending on the size, you may need to do this in two parts). Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment. Mix for 5 minutes at medium speed. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake comes out clean when a skewer is inserted in the middle. Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.

Gingerbread biscuits

1. Pour gingerbread biscuits, place water, sugar, and golden syrup in a pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Stir often. Stir in the butter until it melts. Remove from heat and add the bicarb. Allow to cool down until warm. Add the flour, mix until dough forms, and wrap in Gladwrap. Chill in the fridge for an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
3. Roll out the dough until it is 5mm thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place them on the baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are firm. Let the cake cool completely before adding icing.

Gingerbread icing

1. After the gingerbread biscuits have cooled, add the egg white to the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat until soft peaks are formed. Add the icing and continue to beat until peaks are formed. Pipe decorations on biscuits using a piping bag.

Orange Butter Cream

1. Place the butter in the bowl of the stand mixer and mix at medium-high speed for five minutes.
2. Once combined, mix on high for 8 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and sugar. Blend on high for eight minutes until soft. If your buttercream is too stiff, add a little milk at a time to achieve the desired consistency.

Assembly

1. Use a serrated blade to slice each cake horizontally. Spread a small amount of buttercream evenly over the top of one layer of cake. Add another cake layer on top. Continue to layer with remaining cake layers and buttercream. Spread the remaining buttercream on top and sides.
2. Decorate gingerbread biscuits with stars.