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Dollar Sweets Gingerbread Cake with Burnt Buttercream

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Serves: 12
Prep time: 40 mins plus cooling
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 350g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 4 Woodland Eggs Free Range Size 6
• 440g dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp molasses
• 2 tsp Dollar Sweets Vanilla Extract
• 250ml grapeseed oil
• 300g sour cream
• Dollar Sweets Christmas Sprinkles

Burnt Buttercream:
• 500g butter
• 750g icing sugar mixture

Gingerbread People:
• Dollar Sweets Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Kit
• 120g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 280g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 170ºC. Grease and line the bases and sides of 2 x 17cm round baking pans.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, except brown sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine eggs, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla and beat until thick and creamy (about 5 mins).
3. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil slowly. Once fully incorporated stop the mixer, add half the flour mixture and half the sour cream. Beat on low until all the ingredients are incorporated, then repeat with remaining flour mixture and sour cream.
4. Divide the batter evenly between prepared tins and bake for an hour until the cakes spring back when gently pressed in the centre. Cool the cakes in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a cake rack and cooling completely.
5. To make the burnt buttercream, heat butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until the milk solids separate. Continue to heat until they become golden and toasty, and the butter darkens. Transfer the melted butter and milk solids to a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until the butter becomes firm again.
6. To make the buttercream, stand burnt butter at room temperature until slightly softened, then add icing sugar and whisk until completely incorporated and fluffy.
7. To make gingerbread people, in a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until pale but not fluffy. Add the egg yolks and molasses and beat to combine.
8. Into another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add to the butter mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon until it forms a uniform dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured bench and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into 4mm thickness. Cut out 7 gingerbread person shapes and transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper, refrigerate for an hour.
9. Preheat a fan forced oven to 150ºC. Bake the gingerbread people for around 15 minutes, or until the gingerbread darkens. Cool completely.
10. To decorate the cake, spread buttercream onto the top of one of the cakes and layer the second cake on top. Spread buttercream onto the top and around the sides of the layered cake and smooth with an offset spatula. Pipe a buttercream border around the top of the cake and fill the inside with the red, green and white sprinkles sachet from the Dollar Sweets Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Kit. Use gingerbread men and holly sprinkles from the Dollar Sweets Christmas Sprinkles Kit to decorate the piping.
11. Spread a small amount of buttercream onto the back of a gingerbread person and press into the side of the cake to stick. Repeat with 6 other gingerbread people around the cake. If you like you can use a decorative ribbon to tie around them for presentation.