An original way to eat gingerbread for the holidays with this gingerbread cake! A soft and moist spicy cake, filled with an orange jam, a mascarpone whipped cream and a pretty forest of chocolate Christmas trees.
This gingerbread Christmas cake is an original recipe that changes from the traditional log made for the holidays.Like my gingerbread house cake this recipe is flavored with gingerbread spices a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and molasses.
Between each layer you have an orange jam that goes perfectly with the gingerbread spices and to sweeten the taste and remind the snow a mascarpone whipped cream and homemade chocolate trees.
Spices for Gingerbread
To make the "gingerbread" mix you can use several spices that flavor sweet recipes like in my gingerbread snowflake cookies. Here is a list of spices commonly used to make this mixture:
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Pepper
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How to make gingerbread cake
- Gingerbread cake : make the cake and when it is cold cut it into 4 layers.
- Mascarpone whipped cream: follow the instructions in the recipe sheet and prepare and keep it in the fridge until it is ready to be assembled.
- Chocolate trees: prepare your trees (I will explain in detail how to do this below) and let them cool down completely.
On the day of assembly, spread a layer of orange jam on your first layer of cake and apply a layer of mascarpone cream and repeat until you reach the last layer of cake. Cover the whole cake with mascarpone cream and decorate with chocolate trees.
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How to make the chocolate trees
To have solid and shiny chocolate trees, the ideal is to temper the chocolate, a method that consists in melting the chocolate while following a temperature curve. You will then have a pretty forest of trees on your cake.
- Finely chop the dark chocolate with a knife and place it in a container.
- Melt your chocolate in a double boiler and check the temperature which should be between 50-55°C (122-131 °F).
- Remove from the heat and let it cool down a bit, check the temperature with a cooking thermometer it should be between 28°- 29 C (82 °F).
- Reheat the chocolate to a temperature of 31°C-32°C (87-89°F)
- Immediately put the chocolate in a pastry bag and draw Christmas trees on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Allow the trees to cool completely before peeling them off.
Tip: Preferably use quality couverture chocolate in pistol or bar.
Other Christmas recipes
- Chocolate truffles
- Hot chocolate bomb
- Linzer cookies
- Snickerdoodle cookies
- Chocolate brownies crinkles cookies
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Gingerbread layer cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 portions
Description
A cake full of flavors like a gingerbread with orange jam and a mascarpone whipped cream (for a 4-6 inch / 12-15 cm in diameter 10-12 parts)
Ingredients
Gingerbread cake
- 350 g flour (all purpose)
- 225 g butter (softened)
- 200 g Sugar (granulated)
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 110 g golden syrup (or maple syrup, honey)
- 110 g molasses
- 300 ml milk
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
Filling
- 4 tbsp Orange jam
Mascarpone whipped cream
- 150 g mascarpone (cold)
- 150 g heavy cream (full fat and cold)
- 40 g confectionner's sugar
Chocolate trees
- 100 g Chocolate (semi-sweet)
Instructions
Gingerbread cake
- Melt the butter, golden syrup and molasses in a saucepan over low heat.
- When the butter has melted, remove from the heat and add the sugar, mix well and set aside for about 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the eggs and milk and add this mixture to the melted butter.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture in several batches, mixing well with each addition.
- Pour this mixture into the 2 moulds and cook for 40-50 minutes at 330°F/165°C.
- Leave your cakes to cool completely, then cover them with cling film and chill for at least 2 hours.
Mascarpone whipped cream
- Place the mascarpone, cold heavy cream and sugar in the bowl of your mixer.
- Mix with a whisk at high speed for 2-3 minutes.
- The cream is ready when it has risen and is firm, set aside in the fridge.
Chocolate trees
- Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
- Place the melted chocolate in a pastry bag.
- Draw very thick trees on a sheet of baking paper.
- Leave to cool completely before removing the small trees.
Assembly
- Cut your cakes using a sponge cake lyre into layers of equal sizes.
- Place a cake tray on a turntable and place a first layer of cake on top.
- Spread a thin layer of orange jam, then a layer of mascarpone and repeat this step for all layers of cake.
- Spread a thin layer of mascarpone on the outer surface of the cake, smooth with a spatula or cake smoothener.
- Cover the top with a thick layer of mascarpone and plant the chocolate trees.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with confectionner's sugar for a snowy effect.
Notes
Conservation : in the fridge for 1 week.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: cake, Dessert
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Calories: 495
- Sugar: 44
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 19
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 72
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 86
Keywords: ganache pour layer cake, gingerbread
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