Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
For my Birthday this year I decided to do a Gingerbread “Wildwood Wonder” Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Marzipan Mushrooms. Each fantastic little fungi was hand sculpted and painted at my kitchen table. You can spot pink oysters, boletes, pink toadstools, parasols, mycena, and even some reishi!
Family recipe boxes don’t seem to be complete without a gingerbread recipe. Maybe this will be one for yours!
Gingerbread Cake
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sweet cream butter
1 cup unsulphered molasses
1 large egg
1 cup very hot water
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Prepare your cake pan(s) by greasing and lining the bottom(s) with parchment paper. I used 4 6” cake pans.
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Turn mixer to medium speed and beat 2 minutes.
Add in the molasses and egg. Mix on low speed until evenly incorporated. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add in the dry ingredients slowly. Once evenly combined turn off mixer. Add in the hot water very carefully. You will want to mix the water in by hand with a spatula to avoid any splashing.
Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Please note, if using a larger pan you will need to increase bake time.
Once cooked, allow to cool in pans for 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling begin preparing the frosting.
Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
3-6 cups of confectioners sugar (depending on desired consistency)
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt. Use an electric mixer on medium speed mixing thoroughly until smooth and creamy. Add in the confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at at time mixing in between until desired consistency/sweetness is achieved! There are no wrong answers here!
Spread the icing evenly in between each layer (if doing a layer cake) and over the top and sides of the cake. Enjoy!