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Gingerbread Layer Cake

Celebrate the holidays with this gingerbread layer cake.It's made with thin layers of gingerbread cake stacked with maple whipped cream frosting and garnished with cinnamon sugar almonds.
Yield: 6-inch cake
Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup warm water

Maple Whipped Cream:

  • 2/3 cup sour cream, cold
  • 1 3/4 cup heavy cream, cold
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon maple extract

Cinnamon Sugar Almonds:

  • as needed, purchased from Trader Joe's

Instructions

Gingerbread Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 3 x 6-inch cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix until smooth. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
  • Add eggs and molasses and mix until combined.
  • Add 1/3 of dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Add 1/2 of water and mix. Repeat with another 1/3 of dry ingredients and remaining water. End with last 1/3 of dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
  • Divide batter among prepared cake pans. Smooth top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Rotate halfway thru baking.
  • Remove cakes from pan and allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once cooled, sliced each cake in half to end up with 6 layers. 

Maple Whipped Cream:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine sour cream and heavy cream. Mix on medium speed.
  • Once mixture starts to thicken, slowly add brown sugar and sifted confectioners' sugar. Add maple extract. Whisk until almost stiff peaks.