Gingerbread Layer Cake
Source of Recipe
Bon App�tit | December 2003
Recipe Introduction
The original recipe is for a gingerbread layer cake with candied kumquats and a cream cheese frosting. That sounds wonderful and I might try it sometime, but I was looking for something a little simpler this time. I wanted to make a good gingerbread layer cake and use a lemon buttercream frosting on it. It was wonderful! This is a great cake with good rise (you won�t believe that it will make three decent sized layers when you divide up the batter into the three pans, but it is fine). I cheated and bought canned frosting � but never again. I don�t really mind the flavor of canned chocolate or vanilla frosting, but the lemon was awful � bitter and fake tasting. I�ll take the time to make real lemon buttercream next time. But my idea for lemon frosting was correct � just like lemon sauce on gingerbread, the lemon frosting is a perfect match with the layer cake. I frosted between the layers and on top of the cake only, leaving the sides of each layer bare. It looked interesting and different and didn�t load on too much frosting.
List of Ingredients
1 cup cola
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
Recipe
Preheat oven to 350�F.
Butter and flour three nonstick 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Bring cola to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; whisk in baking soda, then molasses. Transfer to large bowl; cool to room temperature.
Whisk flour and next 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, oil, and eggs into molasses mixture. Whisk in dry ingredients. Divide batter among prepared pans (about 1 2/3 cups batter for each).
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool cakes completely.
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