Tree stump gingerbread cake
RECIPE
Makes one medium cake
Ingredients
for the cake:
225g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
115g butter (at room temperature)
115g treacle
115g golden syrup
115g muscovado sugar
275ml whole milk
1 medium egg
for the buttercream:
170g milk chocolate
226g butter (at room temperature)
1 egg yolk
156g icing sugar plus more for dusting
glace cherries and granulated sugar to decorate
Instructions:
Cake:
- in a large bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices
- in a separate bowl, mix the treacle and golden syrup together and heat gently on a stove or in a microwave, so that the mixture dissolves slightly
- in a pan, combine the sugar and milk and warm gently until the sugar dissolves
- leave the syrup and milk mixtures to cool until lukewarm
- add the treacle and golden syrup mixture into the flour and mix gently
- add the milk and sugar into the mix followed by egg
- stir until you get a smooth and slightly runny batter
- pour the batter into two cake pans, greased with butter
- bake in 180 C (350 F) for around 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean
- leave to cool before removing from the pans
Buttercream:
- melt the chocolate in either microwave or on the stove. To melt it in a microwave: microwave for 1 minute on high power and stir. Return to the microwave for another minute. To melt it on a stove: place the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.
- leave the chocolate to cool down
- meanwhile, beat the sugar and butter until pale and yellow
- add the yolk and continue beating
- slowly add the icing sugar
- finally add the chocolate (make sure it's in a room temerature,it could ruin the buttercream if it's too hot)
- spread some of the buttercream between the two cakes and assemble together
- cover the entire cake with the remaining buttercream
-with a round bladed knife, stroke the cake on the sides to make it look like a tree
- sprinkle some icing sugar on top
- to make the 'frosted berries', roll the glace cherries in granulated sugar
Enjoy! :)