GINGER & CARAMELISED WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE
I think it's good to have a few layer cakes in your repertoire. They're great for getogethers and birthday celebrations. The pairing of caramelised white chocolate and ginger works really well here, resulting in a deliciously autumnal cake.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 10-12

FOR THE CARAMELISED WHITE CHOCOLATE RECIPE CLICK HERE

FOR THE GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPE CLICK HERE

FOR THE GINGER BROWN SUGAR SPONGE

175g vegetable oil

215g caster sugar

4 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

215g plain flour

1tbsp ground ginger

1tsp ground cinnamon

2tsp baking powder

3/4tsp salt

1/4tsp bicarbonate of soda

140g plain yoghurt

FOR THE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

3 egg whites

225g caster sugar

300g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature

150g caramelised white chocolate

METHOD

1

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line two 8-inch round pans and set aside.

2

For the sponge, briefly combine the oil and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, followed by the vanilla extract.

3

In a large bowl, sift together the plain flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Add half of this to the wet mixture and mix well, followed by the yoghurt, then the remaining half of the dry ingredients. Be sure to scrape down to the bottom of the bowl to ensure no dry bits of flour are left.

4

Divide the batter between the two tins. If you're pedantic like me, you may wish to weigh the batter to ensure you get equal amounts in each tin (it should be in the ballpark of around 500g per tin). Bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before decorating; I find cooling the cake to room temperature, then refrigerating the cake for about an hour or so really helps firm it up for decorating.

5

Now for the buttercream. Melt the caramelised white chocolate - I like to do this for 30 second blasts in the microwave, stirring well between each blast until it is fully melted. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan filled 1/3 of the way with simmering water. Whilst constantly stirring, gently heat the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. You should feel no sugar granules if you rub the mixture between clean fingers.

Using a hand-held electric whisk, whip this mixture for 10 minutes until you have a stiff meringue that is cool to the touch. Add the butter, a few cubes at a time; once the last few cubes combine with the meringue, add the next few cubes. Continue in this way until all the butter is used up. You know the frosting is ready as it will transform from looking nothing like frosting to the consistency of whipped butter.

6

Divide each sponge into two. The best way to do this is using a cake leveller, if you have one, or if you're like me and don't, you can use a sharp, serrated knife to slice down the middle of the cake. If you have a turntable, I would recommend using it here.

Place one layer on top of a cake board (or whatever surface you wish to decorate on). I like to use a dab of buttercream to help it stick to the board. Atop this first cake layer, apply a layer of the buttercream. Top with the next cake layer, apply another layer of buttercream, then repeat with the remaining layers until you have all four layers of cake sandwiched together with buttercream. Cover the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer of buttercream, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add a final layer of the buttercream. I then like to pop the remaining buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 2D or star nozzle. Pipe a pattern of rosettes along the top and sides of the cake as you wish, then finish with some gingerbread cookies. Crush 2-3 cookies into fine crumbs either by hand or using a food processor, Gently press the crushed cookie crumbs into the side of the cake, forming a nice crust. I also like to crumble some around the edge of the cake for a nice finish.

Now the cake is ready to serve. Store at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestion

This cake is fabulous for celebrations, best served with a nice cup of tea, made to your preference.

icheffedit Tip

For Swiss meringue buttercream, it really is best to use a handheld electric whisk to get the right consistency. Once you've added the butter, it may still be runny; if it is too warm, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then resume whisking. If it is too cool, place back over the simmering water, and whisk until at the desired consistency.