Spice is nice, am I right? Week 5: Gingerbread cake with ginger cream cheese frosting. And it’s still technically winter so spice cakes are still allowed.

I got to visit my sister this weekend and she introduced me to All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray. So cute! I love that it began as a simple baking project like mine. (I had to buy my own copy since she wouldn’t let me borrow it long term.) While I bookmarked almost every other page in the book to make later, the gingerbread cake popped out at me for this week’s bake.

 

 

We stopped off at the Dixon Fruit Market to find some crystallized ginger on the way back to the bay. I normally would avoid it since I’m a complete spice wimp, but I was trusting that it would bring the sparkle that this cake needs! Side note, the Dixon Fruit Market has more candied fruit and nuts than I thought possible. Had to refrain from buying all the chocolate-covered cherries.

 

 

I started off chopping the ginger, but ended up giving up and grabbing scissors instead. Kitchen scissors are probably my all-time favorite utensil, no shame.

 

 

This recipe also called for a dark beer, but left the choice up the baker. I picked one with chocolate notes since cocoa gingerbread is one of my favorite versions of the classic bread. I’m attempting to do all of the steps, including whisking all the dry ingredients together first. One of the main things I’m learning is trying to rush through baking not only makes it less fun but increases the amount of mistakes I make.

 

 

It took a while to make a cohesive batter in the stand mixer, I think I’ll use the hand mixer instead next time I make it! Breaking in my new 8×9″ ceramic dish, appropriately.

 

 

Only one crack on the top, huzzah! Made the kitchen smell amazing. Make sure to save some of the crystallized ginger to chop up for decoration – that’s the fun part.

 

 

Ta-daa! My mise en place for the frosting. Adding new levels of ginger here with the powdered ginger. I’m also noticing each week that vanilla is the constant through all of the different flavors and textures.

 

 

Ready to assemble!

 

 

Yum! It tastes as good as it smelled in the oven. One thing to fiddle with next time I make it – most of the chunks of ginger candy sank to the bottom half of the cake so I’ll have to research ways to help keep a good suspension. Maybe smaller pieces? Some sort of coating to help them stay buoyant?

To be honest, I’ll probably be having this for breakfast tomorrow. Night all!