Gluten Free Gingerbread Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain gluten-free flour (420g)
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup treacle (330g)
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (150g)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup Meadow Fresh Kalo Natural Yoghurt (250g)
SPICED CREAM CHEESE ICING
- 1 cup Meadow Fresh Traditional Cream Cheese (250g)
- 110g butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups icing sugar (525g)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Method
Preheat oven to 150ºC fan bake, with the rack just below the centre. Grease 3 x 20cm cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg and salt together.
In a medium jug, stir treacle and hot water together until well combined.
Add oil, sugar and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held electric mixer) and beat until pale and creamy. Mix in vanilla extract. Beat in the flour mixture in three additions, adding half of the treacle mixture in between each addition. Beat after every addition until well incorporated. Stir in the yoghurt and mix well.
Divide mixture evenly between prepared cake tins. Arrange on the same oven rack, if possible, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until just cooked through (watch carefully as they can easily overcook and become dry).
Remove from oven and leave to cool in tins for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Spread icing on top of cooled cakes and stack on top of each other.
SPICED CREAM CHEESE ICING
Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Sift icing sugar, cinnamon and ginger over the top and mix on low until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
TIPS
- Top the cake with fresh berries or Christmas-themed decorations.
- This cake is best baked either on the day you plan to serve it, or the day prior. Store uniced cake layers in an airtight container at room temperature, or wrap in foil.
- Icing can also be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge - bring to room temperature before using. Assemble cake on the day you intend to serve it.
- If you don’t need this cake to be gluten-free, you can use plain flour instead. Use the
same quantity (3 cups - the weight will be slightly heavier at 450g).
