Gingerbread Latte Cake

This was a cake made with love for my wife’s birthday.  I posted earlier about how to create the layers and frost the cake.  I would say the hardest thing about making this cake, or any layer cake, is making the layers level.  It helps to have a few basic cake making tools.  The most important one would be one of those trays that spins on its axis. Note to self, get one.

 

 

My cake did not look too bad actually but I was not pulling out a leveler to see that is definitely leaned one way.  The good thing about this challenge is it in no way affects the taste of the cake.  These flavors go together really well and I think the look of all the layers is a much prettier presentation than a typical 3 layer cake.  Don’t you agree.

GINGERBREAD LATTE CAKE (adapted from The Cake Blog & Tessa Huff):
a recipe by Tessa Huff

For the Gingerbread Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare three 6 inch pans and set aside.  Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.
2. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add in the brown sugar and cream together on medium speed.
4. On medium-low, gradually add in the eggs and molasses until incorporated.
5. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
6. Alternating between the dry and wet ingredients, add in the flour mixture and milk in 3 rotations.  Remember to mix on low speed so the flour does not go everywhere.
7. Once mixed, place the batter into the prepared pans.
8. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until done.
9. Cool on a wire rack before de-panning.
10. Once completely cool, carefully slice 2 of the cakes in half to and leave one whole.  This will make 5 layers.

 

For the Espresso Buttercream:

6 egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 ounces hot water

1. Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Whisk together slightly.
2. Create a double boiler by placing the mixing bowl on top of a medium saucepan of water.  Heat on medium-high.
3. Whisk the egg mixture pretty frequently.  Cook the egg mixture until it is hot to the touch.  Remove from stove and set back on the mixer.
4. Fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the egg mixture is cool.
5. Once the bowl of the mixer feels room temperature, stop the mixer.  Switch out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
6. With the mixer of medium speed, add in the butter a few tablespoons at a time.  The frosting will get fluffy.
7. Add in the vanilla and continue to mix until smooth.
8. Meanwhile, dissolve the espresso powder into the hot water.
9. Once the buttercream is done mixing, divide in half.  Reserve half for icing the cake.
10. Mix in the expresso into the second half of the buttercream.

 

Assembly:

Layer the gingerbread cake with a thin layer of espresso buttercream.

Ice the cake with the remaining half of the vanilla buttercream.

Serve and enjoy!