Gingerbread Layer Cake with Vanilla Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting

It was the Christmas buffet at work the other day and as ever I opted to make a cake for the event.I decided to tweak an old recipe I had for a light ginger cake which had golden syrup in it. What if I used treacle instead – much more like gingerbread?
And thus my gingerbread cake was born. A ‘damp’ cake full of syrupy moisture, and bursting with flavor too of course. It has tons of ground ginger and fresh ginger root – plus ginger nut biscuits – just like the gingerbread brownies I made the other week. A triple ginger whammy.
The addition of treacle really changed things up and made this eggless cake a big hit.

The ginger nuts were crushed up and folded through a light creamy, cream cheese frosting, which complimented the dark, brooding interior of the cake. I also sprinkled crushed biscuits on top to decorate the cake.

The cake itself comes together in a strange fashion. You melt butter, sugar, milk and treacle together and then sift in the dry ingredients stirring furiously until everything is combined.
This actually was one of the most popular cakes I think I have made - everyone was asking to take a piece for their others halfs.

The buffet was a big success and the table was groaning at the weight of all the food.

Give this cake a go, at Christmastime, (or anytime really) for anyone who loves gingerbread!
Here's how I made it...

Gingerbread Layer Cake with Vanilla Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting

Gingerbread flavor layer cake with a frosting made from cream cheese, double cream, vanilla and crushed ginger nuts

Cuisine:CakeCategory:FestiveYields:1x8" layer cake

Prep Time:30 MinsCook Time:25 MinsTotal Time:55 Mins

Ingredients

• 350 grams unsalted butter
• 400 grams caster sugar
• 6 tablespoons treacle
• 500 ml milk (any type, I used semi-skimmed)
• 500 grams plain flour
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger root, peeled
• 225 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 115 grams granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 500 ml double cream
• 100 grams ginger nut biscuits

 Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and grease, line and flour 3 8" cake tins.
2. In the largest saucepan you have, place the butter, caster sugar, treacle and milk. Heat gently until everything has melted together. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Sieve the flour, ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon and bicarb directly into the saucepan.
4. Stir until the cake batter comes together. don't overmix.
5. Grate the fresh ginger into the batter and stir this through.
6. Divide the batter equally between the three cake tins and bake for 20 to 25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
7. Allow to cool for 5 mins before removing from cake tin and cooling fully.
8. With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth.
9. Add the vanilla and stir this through.
10. Pour in the double cream and beat on high until it reaches a thick spreadable consistency.
11. Crush the ginger nut biscuits into crumbs and add 50 grams to the frosting, stirring through.
12. Spread frosting on one layer of the cake and place another layer on top.
13. Repeat this process and spread the top with more frosting and bring this down the sides of the cake, covering it all over.
14. Sprinkle the remaining crushed ginger nuts over the top and you are ready to serve.