gingerbread cake with caramel cream cheese buttercream

And caramel, and cookies, and chocolate, and eggnog, and well…all things Christmas! I am kind of excited about it, but I’m sure you probably knew that. 🙂 Here’s the truth, I have been baking Christmas things since the week before Thanksgiving. Actually, it was exactly one week before Thanksgiving that I made this cake and the cute little cupcakes to go along with it. I remember because it happened to be our first major snowfall of the season.

Can I just say that baking a gingerbread cake on a snowy day is probably the most picture perfect day I could ask for. I mean, what could be better than the smell of Gingerbread baking in the oven, Christmas music blasting, and snow falling? In my little world…absolutely nothing. This time right now, between today and December 25th is my most favorite time of the year! I can’t get enough of it, and I wish it would last two months longer than it does. But since it’s T minus twenty-three days till Christmas I have plans to bake up (and through) a snowstorm, watch all the Christmas movies, shoot photos for the cookbook, wrap all the gifts, watch my brother compete in Dew Tour (so excited for him!), and spend some time with my mom and little sister for a change. How I will accomplish all this is beyond me, but I will, I will, and it’s going to be amazing!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 (16 tablespoons) sticks Land O Lakes® European Style Salted Butter softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar light or dark
• 1 1/3 cups molasses
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• gingerbread men/women gold sprinkles + rosemary, for decoration (optional)

CARAMEL FROSTING

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 (20 tablespoons) sticks Land O Lakes® European Style Salted Butter softened
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 16 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• gingerbread cookies for decorating

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, grease with butter or cooking spray.
2. .....................................

for full recipes please see : www.halfbakedharvest.com

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