Gingerbread Latte Cake

img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-25629″ src=”https://thecakeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/gingerbread_latte_cake_pv1.jpg” alt=”Gingerbread Latte Cake! Gingerbread cake, espresso buttercream and toffee bits, perfect for holiday parties and Christmas dessert | by Tessa Huff for TheCakeBlog.com” width=”600″ height=”2075″ />

Our contributor, Tessa Huff, is back with a new cake recipe perfect for the holidays….

For most people, this time of year is all about tradition and celebration.  From carol singing to cookie decorating, I bet a lot of you have holiday rituals and family customs that are practiced and passed down year after year.  Personally, it’s activities like eating grandma’s cookies and sharing laughs with my cousins in our pajamas that mean the season is upon us.

One good way to keep traditions alive is through food.  I’m sure there is more than one reason that candy canes and fruit cake have such longevity besides just their flavors.  In our house, we have the same treats and sweets each year, plus a couple new ones.  Since my cooking style revolves around old classics with modern twists, I like to do the same around the holidays.  This year, I sought out to reinvent a traditional molasses gingerbread cake into a new layer cake, and what a treat it turned out to be.

Using classic and contemporary flavors together, I created this 6-Layer Gingerbread Latte Toffee Crunch Cake.  Inspired by traditional holidays flavors and the ever-so popular coffee drinks that keep popping up this time of year, this sky-high layer cake is certainly something to celebrate.  Six layers of gingerbread cake are stacked with espresso buttercream and bits of toffee.  It is iced with vanilla buttercream to round off the flavorful filling.  Serve at your next holiday gathering or with a bright cup of coffee.

GINGERBREAD LATTE CAKE
a recipe by Tessa Huff

For the Gingerbread Cake:

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 cup molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour three 6 inch pans and set aside.
2. Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Set aside.
3. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add in the brown sugar and mix together on medium speed.
5. On medium-low, add in the eggs one at a time followed by the molasses.  Mix until incorporated.
6. Add in the grated ginger.
7. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
8. Alternating between dry and wet, add in the flour mixture and milk in 3 additions on low speed.
9. Once mixed, divide the batter evenly between the three pans.
10. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until done.
11. Cool on a wire rack before de-panning.
12. Once completely cool, carefully slice each cake in half to create 6 layers.

For the Espresso Buttercream:

6 egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 ounces hot water

1. Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Whisk together slightly.
2. Create a double boiler by placing the mixing bowl on top of a medium saucepan of water.  Heat on medium-high.
3. While whisking, heat the egg white mixture until 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
4. Once hot, transfer the mixing bowl back to the electric mixer.  With the whisk attachment, mix on high for about 8-10 minutes, or until the bowl of the mixer returns to room temperature.  Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
5. With the mixer of medium speed, add in the butter, a few tablespoons at a time.
6. Add in the vanilla and continue to mix until smooth.
7. Meanwhile, dissolve the espresso powder into the hot water.
8. Once the buttercream is done mixing, divide in half.  Reserve half for icing the cake.
9. Mix in the expresso into the second half of the buttercream.  Feel free to make the espresso flavor stronger by dissolving more powder into the 2 ounces of water.

Assembly:

Layer the gingerbread cake with a thin layer of espresso buttercream.  On every other layer, sprinkle with bits of toffee.  Ice the cake with the remaining half of the vanilla buttercream.

 
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Buckeye Cake
Eggnog Cake
Poached Pear & Cranberry Cake
Cranberry Orange Cupcakes
Pie Crust Cookies
Christmas Cupcake Wreath

Find all of our holiday recipes and tutorials in our Christmas Gallery!