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Gingerbread Cake with Orange Buttercream & Bourbon Caramel

Yield: 12 big slices
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
This gingerbread cake with orange buttercream & bourbon caramel is lightly spiced, insanely fluffy, and perfect for a holoiday party!

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

  • 2 1/4 cup AP flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup molasses

Orange Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp bourbon

Instructions 

Gingerbread Cake

  • Preheat oven to 375* F. Butter and flour either two 8-inch or three 6-inch cake pans. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
  • Whisk together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla extract and buttermilk. Add half of the flour mixture until just mixed, then the molasses, and then the remaining flour mixture. Do not over-mix.
  • Divide the cake batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake, checking for doneness around 20 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely.

Orange Buttercream

  • Using a stand (or hand) mixer, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, and mix on high for about five minutes, or until the buttercream is whipped. Add the orange zest, a pinch of salt, and the vanilla. Add orange juice 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Set aside.

Bourbon Caramel

  • In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, milk, and a pinch of salt. Cook, bringing to a boil, until the sugar is dissolved and the caramel begins to thicken, about five minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon. Set aside and cool.

Assemble the Cake

  • To assemble the cake, begin by leveling the tops (if desired). Spread some of the frosting on top of one layer, and then top with the other cake layer. (Repeat if you have a third layer). Lightly frost the outside of the cake, leaving some spots unfrosted if you want a semi-naked cake.
  • Drizzle the cooled caramel over the cake (you may need to stir the caramel to reincorporate). Drizzle it from the top to get the "drippy" effect. Decorate with gingerbread cookies, or other decorations, as desired.

Notes

*Please note!* This is a high-altitude cake. For sea-level, use 1 Tablespoon of baking powder and 1 1/4 cups buttermilk. Bake at 350* F, checking for doneness at 20 minutes.
This cake can be made in two 8-inch pans or three 6-inch pans. This buttercream is the perfect amount for a "semi-naked" style cake, but if you want a fully frosted cake, double the frosting recipe.
You can leave the bourbon out of the caramel and replace it with more vanilla extract if you'd prefer!
Cuisine: English
Course: Dessert
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 749kcal, Carbohydrates: 97.8g, Protein: 2.8g, Fat: 39.8g, Saturated Fat: 24.9g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Sodium: 427mg, Potassium: 443mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 88g, Calcium: 133mg, Iron: 2mg
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