If you love gingerbread cookies, prepare a gingerbread cake in a slightly larger, family-sized version! Let the house fill with festive aromas and the stomachs of sweet tooths – with the best homemade cake!
Ingredients
- Dried fruits – 140 g
- Cocoa – 1.5 tablespoons
- Sugar – 90 g
- Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
- Dark chocolate – 200 g
- Eggs – 4 pcs.
- Butter – 1 tablespoon
- Wheat flour – 510 g
- Honey – 320 g
- Whole milk (3.2%) – 230 ml
- Canola oil – 190 ml
- Plum jam – 125 ml
- Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
- Mixed spice – 2 tablespoons
- Baking soda – 1.5 teaspoons
- Salt – 2 pinches
- Heavy cream (36%) – 120 ml
Preparation
Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and a pinch of salt. In a saucepan, combine and heat the oil, milk, honey, sugar, mixed spice, and cinnamon, stirring until the honey dissolves and all the ingredients are combined. Let it cool slightly.
When the mixture is just warm, pour it into a bowl with the flour, add egg yolks and dried fruits (leave some cranberries for decoration). Mix everything with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined.
In a separate bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, transfer the egg whites. Add a pinch of salt and beat them, starting at medium speed, until they form stiff peaks. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer while beating. Divide the prepared meringue into portions and gently fold it into the dough to preserve its fluffiness.
Grease two loaf pans, each about 10 x 30 cm, with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or flour. Pour half of the dough into each pan. Bake for about 55-60 minutes in an oven preheated to 175°C. Check with a toothpick if the cake is done; if not, extend the baking time.
Once the gingerbread in both pans has cooled, spread plum jam over one cake and place the other cake on top to create a taller gingerbread.
Melt the dark chocolate, broken into small pieces, in a saucepan with the addition of heavy cream. Once melted and combined, pour the glaze over the top of the cake and set aside. When the chocolate has hardened, sprinkle dried cranberries on top.
