Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
Gingerbread Cake
This little cake is simply elegant in appearance, and combines the best flavors of Fall for a tasty dessert. I tried a mix of this with whole wheat flour to up the Fall harvest aspect, but I wasn't happy with the moisture and consistency of the cake. So, I definitely recommend sticking with Cake Flour. You can also make this recipe into cupcakes instead of a stacked cake depending on your preference. The icing alone, I could eat by the spoonful - yum!
Yield: 1 Large 3 Tiered Cake
INGREDIENTS
CAKE:
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Ground Ginger
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
Dash Ground Cloves
Dash Cardamom
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Turbinado Raw Sugar
3/4 Cups Sorghum (or light Molasses)
1/2 Cup Butter, room temperature
2 Tsp Fresh Grated Ginger
1 Cup Milk
LEMON CREAM CHEESE ICING:
12 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
6 Tbsp Butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Fresh grated zest from 1 Lemon
6 1/2 Cups Confectioners' (Powdered) Sugar
OTHER ADDITIONS:
1 Cup Apple Butter
1/4 Cup Crystallized Ginger, small dice
1 Cup Pecan Pieces
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl - Cake Flour, Baking Soda, Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves and Cardamom.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine Eggs, Brown Sugar, Raw Sugar, Sorghum, Butter and Fresh Ginger until thoroughly combined. Once combined alternately add dry flour mixture and Milk, using a small amount each time, and beat until batter is light and fluffy.
4. Pour batter into cake pans, about 1/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
5. Stack cakes, layering with a 1/2 Cup of Apple Butter in between each cake.
6. For icing, whip Cream Cheese, Butter, Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the Powdered Sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing with an electric mixer until all Sugar is added. Icing should be creamy and fluffy. You can adjust sugar as needed for your tastes.
7. You will use two layers of icing. First, smear icing on 3 layered cake with a smooth knife. This is the "crumb layer" that catches all of the unsightly loose crumbs from the cake. Once the cake is initially iced place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to firm up initial layer of icing. Second, remove the cake from refrigerator then add another layer of thick decorative icing. Use all of the icing if possible for a thick, luscious topping. Top cake with Crystallized Ginger and Pecans for decoration.
8. Keep in refrigerator if made well in advance of an event. The cake can sit out for a couple of days while eating if needed, but will last longer if refrigerated. Enjoy!
