GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH BOURBON-MOLASSES FROSTING PLUS TASTING WHISKEY

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH BOURBON-MOLASSES FROSTING PLUS TASTING WHISKEY image

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

For the cake
2-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
Â½ tsp allspice
Â½ tsp salt
Â¾ cup light brown sugar
Â¾ cup molasses
Â½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Â¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water
For the frosting
Â½ cup (1 stick) butter
Â¼ cup molasses
Â¼ cup bourbon
1 tsp vanilla
Â½ tsp salt
3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
Cake crumbs, for garnish (recipe below)

Steps:

For the cake (Cake recipe adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 9-in round cake pans. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar, molasses, butter, and oil. Add the eggs in, beating after each addition. Mix in the flour mixture until well combined. Slowly and carefully, stir in the boiling water, and mix until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks. Once cooled, use a serrated knife or cake leveler to cut off the tops of the cakes. Save these scraps for the cake crumb garnish, if desired. For the frosting Cream together the butter and molasses. Add the bourbon and vanilla. Then add the salt and confectioner's sugar, beating until smooth. To assemble Place one cake on a cake stand or plate and using an offset spatula, spread â of the frosting evenly. Place the other cake layer, cut side down, on top of the frosting. Frost the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting and refrigerate for 10 minutes to set the crumb coat. Then spread the remaining frosting over the rest of the cake. Pat cake crumbs on the sides of the cake, and sprinkle some on the top to garnish. For the cake crumbs Reduce oven to 300 degrees F. Spread the cake scraps in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake for 22 minutes, just until they start to harden. Let them cool to room temperature, and using a rolling pin or food processor, crush them into crumbs. To garnish this cake, you will only need about half the crumbs. Save the rest for other uses (like sprinkling on ice cream or on a bourbon milk punch).