Gingerbread Cake with Whiskey Salted Caramel Recipe

Name: Gingerbread Cake with Whiskey Salted Caramel
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 340g butter (room temperature); 1½ cups caster sugar; 3 tbsp golden syrup; 4 eggs (room temperature); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1½ cups plain flour; 2 tbsp ground ginger; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp ground cloves; 250g cream cheese (room temperature); 120g butter (room temperature); 3 cups icing sugar; ½ cup caster sugar; 60ml water; 1/3 cup thickened cream; 1 tsp whiskey (or to taste); 1 tsp sea salt

Ingredients

340g butter (room temperature)
1½ cups caster sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
4 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups plain flour
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
250g cream cheese (room temperature)
120g butter (room temperature)
3 cups icing sugar
½ cup caster sugar
60ml water
1/3 cup thickened cream
1 tsp whiskey (or to taste)
1 tsp sea salt

	PREP TIME 30m	COOK TIME 30m	TOTAL TIME 1h
YIELD 12 servings

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line and grease 2 x 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy in a large bowl.
Beat in golden syrup, vanilla extract and eggs, 1 at a time.
Sift flour with spices and add to wet mixture. Mix until just combined (over mixing can result in tougher cake).
Divide batter evenly between cake tins and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep in mind this is a moist cake, so a toothpick should come out mostly clean.
Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Cream the butter and icing sugar together until well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in cubes slowly until incorporated. Continue mixing for 5 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy.
Dissolve the sugar into the water in a heavy bottomed saucepan and let it bubble away over a medium heat.
The mixture should turn a golden caramel colour after around 5 minutes. DON’T stir the caramel mixture – the sugar will crystallize.
Once the caramel has reached the desired colour, take it off the heat and add the cream. Stir furiously as the caramel will want to harden quickly.
Stir in the whiskey and salt.
Pop the caramel cream mixture in a small bowl and put it in the fridge to help cool down quickly.
If your cakes have domed, trim them flat with a serrated knife.
Place your first layer on the cake stand and spread around 2 tablespoons worth of salted caramel over the top of the cake.
Dollop on a generous portion of cream cheese icing and spread out evenly with an offset spatula. Remember to take the icing right to the edges so it peaks out the sides of the cake when assembled.
Place the top layer of cake on top and repeat this process. I left this as a naked cake, but you can completely ice the sides too if you like.
Complete with a generous drizzle of room temperature whiskey salted caramel just before you serve (if your caramel has hardened, warm it up slightly in the microwave for 10 seconds on medium).
Enjoy!