- Hi everyone! Our cake is done and it came out just as amazing as I had imagined. The Caramel Gingerbread Cake is a cake that is so good you'll forget you have diabetes by the second bite. This recipe is also pretty easy, but as always, will take a while to make. If you want to skip the walkthrough, I've included the recipes and ingredients below.
- One of the prime reasons why I love cooking is because it lets me express my creativity and pureness in a way that no other medium can bring to the table. There are very few things on this earth that can’t be made from scratch, even if it takes a whole lot of patience and practice just like this caramel gingerbread cake.
- This is a classic gingerbread cake recipe that has been passed down through different family members. It started with my great-grandmother and has now been given to my mother who will, in turn, pass it down to me. The best part about this cake is the carmel frosting inside and out!
Ingredients
Caramel sauce (prepare in advance):
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 225 ml heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
gingerbread cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup of premium molasses does not use black belt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup yoghurt at room temperature
- Caramel Swiss Meringue Butter:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, diced soft but still cold
- 1/2 cup caramel
- 1 cup crushed ginger biscuits
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
directions
Caramel sauce (prepare in advance):
- Put the sugar and water in a medium saucepan, and stir until combined, but without stirring from this point forward. Cook over high heat, brushing sides of saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in water as needed to prevent crystals from forming.
- Cook until desired color of caramel (amber) and immediately remove from heat. Pour in the heavy cream very slowly (at room temperature) while whisking quickly. The mixture will boil (a lot) and boil. Add butter (at room temperature), return to heat and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for two minutes, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat and leave to cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Transfer it to a bowl and put it in the fridge until it thickens. *
gingerbread cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and grate three 6 cake layers, lined with parchment.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Sit aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat on medium-high until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, incorporating completely after each addition. Add molasses and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Instead of adding flour and milk mixture, at the beginning and end with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Full integration after each addition. Don't get overly confused.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pots. Smooth the tops with a spoon.
- Almost baked. 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then flip them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Caramel Swiss Meringue Butter:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a mixer, and beat until combined. **
- Place a bowl over a saucepan of 1-2 inches of boiling water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and does not turn granular to the touch or reads 160°F on a candy thermometer (about 3 minutes).
- Place bowl on stand mixer and beat on medium-high until meringue is stiff and cooled (bowl no longer warm to the touch (about 5-10 minutes)).
- Switch to the paddle attachment. Slowly add the butter cubes and mix until smooth.
- Add the cooled caramel and whisk until smooth. ***
Ginger Streusel:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the parchment paper on a baking tray.
- Place the cookie crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl, and stir until it begins to clump. Spread on prepared baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool completely before using on cake. Break crumbs if necessary.
Holographic:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Apply 2/3 cup of decorating cream to the face. Dollop 1-2 tablespoons caramel on top and roll in butter with a toothpick. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of the crunchy gingerbread cookie. Repeat with the next layer.
- Put the last layer on top and put a layer of crumbs on the cake. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Using a small spatula, place pieces of caramel around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip off. ****
- Fill the top of the cake with more caramel and spread it evenly using an offset spatula. Let the caramel set for a few minutes. *****
- Make a rope border using the 1 meter tip and fill in the center with more gingerbread streusel.
Notes
* The caramel can be prepared the day before and either left on the counter overnight or in the refrigerator if longer. Bring it to room temperature again before use.
** Make sure that there is no trace of egg yolk in the egg white and that the bowl of the mixer and whisk are completely free of grease or the meringue will not harden.
*** Buttercream may look curdled at some point. Keep mixing until completely smooth.
**** If the caramel has thickened too much, microwave it in 5-10 second intervals until soft (but not warm). You want the caramel to be somewhat thick for the drips to drip. It will continue to drip.
***** Don't use too much caramel to fill the top. I literally pulled the top of the dolls inward to fill it.
You'll have a little caramel left over, and the buttercream recipe is enough to freeze the entire cake.