Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

2 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Hands-on Time
30 Mins
Total Time
2 Hours 50 Mins
Yield
Makes 10 to 12 servings
December 2014
RECIPE BY Southern Living

Warm spices and molasses blend beautifully with tangy buttermilk frosting.

Ingredients

  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups hot strong brewed coffee
  • 3/4 cup light molasses
  • Shortening
  • Buttermilk Frosting
  • Spiced Glazed Pecans

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Process first 7 ingredients in food processor 1 minute or until ginger is finely ground. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric stand mixer until creamy. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time; beat until blended after each addition.

Step 2

Combine coffee and molasses. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with coffee mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter in 3 batches.

Step 3

Spoon batter into 3 greased (with shortening) and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool on racks.

Step 4

Spread Buttermilk Frosting between layers and over cake. Garnish with pecans.

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Ratings & Reviews

juliebug's Review

LorettaO
December 28, 2014
This cake really is something special. It was a huge hit for my sister's birthday on Christmas day. I do want to say though that I had a bit of trouble with the candied pecans. For some reason, the sugar clumped up the first time I made it using a saucepan. I tried again using a cast iron skillet and had more success, but it still wasn't perfect. Nonetheless, the cake turned out to be quite spectacular looking and tasting. I will definitely make this again.

Debbiedeaver's Review

Debbiedeaver
December 02, 2014
This cake was outrageous. The frosting is the stuff dreams are made of. You don't need to change a thing with this cake. The texture was like a carrot cake. I made it the week prior to Thanksgiving, froze the cake and iced when thawed. Guest couldn't stop talking about this cake.