Gingerbread Cake with Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary

Food

Best Christmas CakeSugared Cranberries and Rosemary:

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 12-15 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

Gingerbread Cake:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cup brewed coffee

Orange Buttercream Frosting:

  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
  • Pinch of salt

Dry cranberries and rosemary on paper towels (you do not want them wet). Place a wire rack on a baking pan to catch drips. In a large skillet, combine water and 1/2 cup sugar and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1 minute; remove pot from heat and let syrup cool 15 minutes.

Add cranberries and rosemary and quickly toss until fully coated (no more than 30-40 seconds or they’ll start to burst or wilt). Remove with slotted spoon and place on wire rack in a single layer. Let dry at least 1 hour. Place remaining cup of sugar in a large bowl and add cranberries and rosemary. Gently toss to thoroughly coat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two or three 8 or 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick baking spray. Beat butter and brown sugar with mixer about 3-4 minutes on high until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing and scraping the bowl down after each addition. Mix in vanilla and molasses.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add to molasses mixture in 3 additions, alternating with coffee. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until edges pull away from the pan and the centers of the cake bounce back when gently pressed. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, place butter in bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add vanilla, heavy cream, orange juice and salt. Mix on high 30 more seconds. Spread on cake layers and smooth on outside of cake. Top with cranberries and rosemary to form a wreath. Makes 12 servings.