Appley Dapply Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Nov 27

Nov 27 Appley Dapply Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Collaboration, Ages 2+, Cake, Cake Topper, Entertainment, Experience, Holiday, Kid-Friendly, Life + Mommyhood, Mommy + Craft, Photography, Styling

Holiday Cake Trio by Dominique Jessee @twobunsbaking
Prep: 20min | Bake: 40+min | Decorate: 30min
Yields: 8 slices

Appley Dapply Gingerbread Cake is next in our Easy Holiday Cake Trio. When I asked Dominique @twobunsbaking to create this trio, I prayed for a gingerbread cake. Prayed. My prayer was answered when she used a recipe adapted from her mother’s baking. The chopped, crystalized ginger is the key ingredient. It makes the flavor so deliciously spicy, you’ll have to hide the cake—otherwise this appley dessert may not make it to your holiday party.

Jump to recipe | Jump to semi-naked frosting tips

Let’s get baking!...

For the Cake

Ingredients
1 box of Betty Crocker Cake & Cookie Gingerbread mix*
¾ Cups Applesauce
½ Cups water
1 egg
1 apple, peeled and diced
½ Cup crystalized ginger, minced

*Measurements pertain to the Betty Crocker mix. Using a different mix, the recipe won't work.

Directions:

Preheat oven according to box directions.
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Pour cake batter into 2 greased 6” cake pans.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Baking times vary depending on your oven and cake pans used. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool in cake pan for 10 minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely.

for the Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
4 Cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1-2 tbsp cream or milk
pinch of salt

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing in milk and molasses in between cups of sugar.
Add more milk and salt as needed.
Beat the frosting on high for 5 more minutes until the desired consistency is reached.
Frost cake as desired. See Naked Cake tutorial below!

Let’s get semi-naked...er, frosting!...

3 ways to Frost a Naked Cake

Got a turntable? First, would you be my friend? I love my friends who bake. Just throwing that out there. Second, here is a fabulous semi-naked cake tutorial from Fancy Favours & Edible Art.

Don’t have a turntable, but a semi-naked spirit? You wonderful adventurer, you. Follow the semi-naked cake tutorial, and improvise the tools. Basically, you need to hold something flat against the side of the cake and turn manually turn the plate. You can use an long knife, offset spatula, or bench scraper. It won’t be perfect, but you will get the desired effect.

Do you scream at the sight of cake nakedness? No worries. You can definitely frost this cake old school, while wearing a turtleneck. Spread the frosting onto your cake using an offset spatula, or butter knife. You can also check out our “wavy spoon” pattern used for our Let it Snow! Cranberry Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream. Enjoy!

Youtube Tutorial: Secrets to a Perfect Semi-naked Cake from Fancy Favours & Edible Art

Add Trees!

My favorite moment during our photo shoot was watching Noah excitedly add trees to this cake. These little bristle trees are the perfect size for his 2-year old hands. You simply can’t go wrong with placement. If you don’t have fake trees, go out and forage a few pine sprigs, or grab a couple of ornaments from your holiday decor.

Styling the Dessert Table

Using holiday trees or mini ornaments on this cake is not only a smart way to decorate your cake with ease, but also to decorate your table. Tuck a few sprigs of foraged holly or pine here and there, and you have a fun holiday cake trio with Dominique’s Polka Dot Chocolate Cake and Let it Snow! Cranberry Cake.