Cake dome Sunday #12: Gingerbread layer Cake with Raspberries and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

One of my favorite celebrity chefs is Anna Olson.  I watch her cooking show on television whenever I can.  She takes her baked goods and pastries from good to extraordinary to spectacular.  This past week on her program she showed how to make gingerbread cookies.  From there she made

 gingerbread and then finally made this Elegant Gingerbread Layer Cake with Raspberries and Lemon Buttercream Frosting.  I knew immediately that I had to give her recipe a try for the Mister this weekend.

  

The flavor of this cake truly is extraordinarily delicious.  Fresh grated ginger, fresh grated lemon peel and lemon juice, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove and sweetened with fancy molasses and brown sugar and an extra pizzazz added of ginger ale (or ginger beer) in the batter: all of these ingredients combined to make a light and very flavorfully fresh gingerbread cake.
 

 

To make this high and mighty cake you need to use three 8" round cake pans.  I have two round ones but not three.  As I tore through my cupboard searching for cake pans I discovered waaaaaaaaaay in the back of the bottom cupboard three heart shaped cake pans.  PERFECT!!  Valentine's day is this week and the Mister is going to get his sweet Valentine treat from me in the form of this cake.

  

This cake is so good!  It is light in texture and bold in flavor.  I know you won't be disappointed if you make it.

 

Here is the recipe Courtesy of Anna Olson.

 

Elegant Gingerbread Layer Cake with Raspberries and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

 

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup fancy molasses
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup ginger ale (or ginger beer)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

 

Icing and Assembly 

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh raspberries

 

Directions:

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease 3  8 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Dust the sides of the pan with flour, tapping out any excess.
2. Whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, giner and zest.
3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.  Add this to the oil mixture and stir until blended.
4. In another bowl, whisk the molasses, maple syrup, ginger ale (or ginger beer), lemon juice and baking soda (this will froth up).  Add this to the batter and beat vigorously until smooth.  The batter will be very liquidy (fluid).  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool the cakes for 30 minutes in their cake tins, then turn out to cool completely.

Icing and Assembly:

1. For the icing, beat the butter with half of the icing sugar and the lemon zest.  Add the lemon juice, water and vanilla and beat well.  Add the remaining icing sugar and beat well again, until the icing is fluffy and spreadable.
2. To assemble, place one cake layer on a platter and spread the top with a third of the icing.  Dot the icing with raspberries and place a second cake layer on top, pressing down gently.  Spread another third of the icing over this layer and dot with raspberries.  Top this with the final cake layer, spread the remaining icing overtop and garnish with the remaining raspberries.  Chill the cake until ready to serve.
3. The cake will keep, refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Do you have special plans for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day? 

 

Until next time,

Cheers!

 

Jennifer

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