Christmas Cake
User Reviews
5
Christmas Cake
Description
This Christmas Cake recipe uses a combination of all-purpose flour, molasses, and a blend of warm spices including ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom to achieve its characteristic flavor. The cake batter incorporates boiling water and baking soda for leavening, with butter and brown sugar to enhance moistness and richness. The batter is divided between three 6-inch pans, with extra batter used for cupcakes. Baking times vary around 30 to 35 minutes for cakes, and 15 to 20 minutes for cupcakes.
The Italian buttercream frosting is crafted by beating egg whites to foam, cooking sugar syrup, and whipping in butter with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Optional food coloring and matcha powder allow for creative decoration effects. This buttercream adds a smooth, spiced layer that complements the warmly flavored cake.
Decorative touches such as edible gold leaf and dustings of confectioners sugar provide a festive finish. The cake can be chilled before applying buttercream to create a stable surface, enhancing the ease of decorative work. Using a pallet knife to apply buttercream with intentional strokes simulates pine tree branches, adding depth and character suited for holiday presentations.
With its blend of spices and careful assembly, this Christmas Cake offers a moist texture and layered festive flavors. The accompanying notes emphasize technique for frostwork, such as chilling the cake, sketching designs with a toothpick, and correcting frosting strokes with a small knife when needed.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 3/4 cup water 177ml, boiling
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1/2 cup butter 113g, unsalted, room temperature
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp cloves ground
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar 100g, packed
- 2/3 cup unsulfured molasses 157ml
- 1 1/2 tbsp ginger grated (Optional!)
- 2 egg room temperature, medium
For the Italian Buttercream
- 6 egg room temperature, white
- 2 1/4 cups sugar 425g, divided
- 2/3 cup water 60ml
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cloves ground
- 2 cups butter 454g, unsalted
- Food Coloring red and black
- matcha powder optional
For the Assembly
- 1 heet edible gold leaf
- 2 tbsp confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS:
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour three 6" cake pans. Use damp baking strips for even layers. You may have some leftover batter so prepare a cupcake tin with cupcake papers.
- Combine boiling water and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt into a large bowl.
- Using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment beat the butter on high until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about two minutes. Add the molasses, ginger, baking soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in the eggs.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake from about 30-35. You’ll have some left over batter. Use it to make a few cupcakes and bake them for about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Allow cake layers to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
For the Italian Buttercream:
- Beat the egg whites until foamy then add in a 1/4 tsp cream or tartar and slowly add ½ cup of sugar while the mixer is running. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form.
- In a medium saucepan add the remaining 1 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water then place on low heat.
- Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear.
- Maintain at medium high heat until temperature reads 235-240F.
- Drizzle the sugar into the mixer immediately.
- Run mixer until merengue is cool/tepid.
- Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time.
- Add the salt and vanilla if using
- Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency.
- Divide buttercream into three bowls. one for the white, one smaller batch for the red swirl and the smallest batch for the green tree
- Use red food coloring to get a desired deep red color for the swirl. Add spices, mix until combined, transfer to a piping bag and snip off the tip.
- Use the matcha powder, black and brown to get a deep green tree color. Dye some with cocoa powder or brown food coloring for the stump of the christmas tree.
For the Assembly:
- Transfer some plain white buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the tip. Add the red and white to a piping bag and snip off the tip.
- Pipe a red and white swirl between each layer.
- Cover in plain white buttercream and smooth with an offset spatula and bench scraper.
- Use a palette knife to add layers of green to create a christmas tree.
- Transfer the rest of the red food coloring to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Pipe red ornaments on the tree.
- Schmear on a layer of buttercream to a piece of parchment paper and freeze for about 5-10 minutes.
- Use an exacto knife to cut out a star shape. Free again.
- Add gold leaf to the star and transfer to the top of the tree.
- Dust with confectioners sugar.
Notes
- Chill the cake before frosting to create a stable surface for buttercream application.
- Sketch your decorative design lightly on the cake surface using a toothpick or skewer as a guide.
- Practice frosting techniques on a plate to control the amount of buttercream used for texture effects.
- If frosting mistakes occur, use a small knife to remove and retry without damaging the cake.
- Apply buttercream with the knife tip and swipe upward to create depth resembling pine tree branches.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 263 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 263kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Sodium | 242mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 325mg | 7% |
| Sugar | 15g | 30% |
| Vitamin A | 50IU | 1% |
| Calcium | 50mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2.2mg | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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