Monday, December 10, 2018

Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake (layer cake)

I'm a member of a group called Baking Bloggers, every month we bake something with a theme.  This month it's Gingerbread.    And btw the group is led by Sue of Palatable Pastime
I was all set to make a Gingerbread House - I might still make one - but fortuitously, it's also the week I bake and donate a cake to our local Legion for their cake-raffle.  They raffle off a cake every week, and use the funds for local projects.
I figure it's a win win situation, I get to bake, and don't have to eat it, (saves a little when I step on the scale), and they get a cake they can raffle off.
They do appreciate it as well. 
Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake
If I'd had my wits about me, I would have just told you about the last cake I made, it had Ginger in it, as well as on top, but it wasn't a true Gingerbread cake. 
It was darn good though.
Anyhooo, I went through my cookbooks, found this recipe in a cookbook that I received at my bridal shower, a few decades ago, and decided to make it. 
Then as I looked at the ingredients, decided to play around a little.
It's my cake and I can play if I want to.
So there!

I done made a full on touchdown, again.
See, I do know some football lingo.

One of the fun things I did, to up the "gingerbreadness" of the cake was make up a gingerbread spice mix.   I went to my Brunekager recipe, for the spices,  and then played with the proportions a little.
And I added some crushed allspice along with touch of nutmeg.

For the frosting, I went with my favorite frosting.  It's basically a boiled milk frosting, aka - Ermine frosting or Faux Buttercream along with a few other names.  I amped up the flavors a little though.  I wanted the frosting to have a distinct ginger taste so I heated up the milk with some of my homemade candied ginger, let it cool and fished out the ginger, and kept it.  After I tasted it, I decided it was almost perfect. I wanted an over all ginger undercurrent and I got it, sort of.  It wasn't quite gingery enough though, so I added a half teaspoon of powdered ginger and that made it perfect.   Next time, I'll just add the powdered ginger and forget about simmering the ginger in the milk.
I also went to Cook's test kitchen to see if they had any hints, and found a recipe that sounded amazing, but was just too darn fiddly.  Although I appreciate the time and effort they put in to develop the recipes.

A couple of hints for decorating.  Place a dab of frosting on the middle of the cake plate and place the first cake layer on top of it, bottoms up.
Then place half of the frosting in a piping bag and pipe a ring around the outside of the first layer and then fill in the middle. So much easier to get a nice even layer down, and the ring around the outside helps to fill in the gap between the first and second layer.
Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake
And then I had fun.  I colored a little of the frosting red, and a little green and piped poinsettia flowers on the top.  
Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake
 I didn't get too carried away, did I?
Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake

Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake
I finished it off with some star tips around the edge and some on the sides as well.
Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake


I did get some major thumbs up on the cake I made though. It was rich and gingerbready without being overly sweet or cloyingly spicy.  I did get to taste the cake, as the winner shared the cake out with everyone.  The frosting had a lovely creamy ginger spice to it and that just added to the cake.  The cocoa added a rich dark look and the coffee extract added a nice note as well.
Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake


Yield: 2 layer cake

Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake
Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake

prep time: 30 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 60 mins
This dark, rich Gingerbread cake is perfect as a layer cake, slathered or frosted with Ermine Frosting. The hint of ginger in the frosting, complements the cake beautifully.

ingredients:


Cake
2 Cups Self Rising Flour
3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons Molasses
2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
2 tablespoons Gingerbread Spice
1 tsp. Coffee extract

Gingerbread Spice
2 tablespoons Cinnamon
2 tablespoons whole allspice - ground or 1 tablespoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Ermine Frosting

1 cup milk
1cup sugar
1 cup butter
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

instructions:


Ermine Frosting:
Whisk the flour into the cold milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.  Set aside to cool, then press through a sieve to remove any lumps.  When totally cold, cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixture until the sugar has broken down.  Add the cooled cooked milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time and whisk at a high speed.  This mixture will look kinda weird at first, but letting it mix for about 7-10 minutes will make it double in size almost.  This recipe makes enough to frost a two layer cake.  The taste is lighter and less sweet than regular buttercream. 
Cake:
Sift all the dry ingredients together and set aside.  This is especially important if you ground your own allspice and also helps to break up the cocoa powder.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour 2 - 8 or 9 inch cake pans. 
 Cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until it is lightened up and the sugar crystals are broken down. Add the coffee extract.   Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.  As soon as the eggs are incorporated, then add the molasses or whisk the molasses into the milk, add one third of the flour, combine and then add half the milk, mix, then another third of the flour mixture and then the rest of the milk, finishing it off with the remaining flour

Pour half the batter into each pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake springs back with a light touch in the center or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Invert onto a cooling rack. 

Frost with some Ermine Frosting which has 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger added to it. (recipe above)

If you wish, you can take a little of the frosting and tint some red and some green and pipe poinsettia flowers on top to decorate the cake and make it look festive. 
Note:  I actually weigh each layer on my scale.  This helps me to keep it even.  
Created using The Recipes Generator
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Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

8 comments:

  1. This sounds so tasty and love the pretty frosting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I had fun with it. And it did taste good as well.

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  2. That cake!!! It looks amazing. I love reading about your thought process too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was pretty good. I'm glad you were able to follow my rather, convoluted, thought process. I sometimes, overshare? And other times I get lost in my mind and usually find my way out again. Usually.

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