Seven Minute Frosting For Gingerbread Town Square Cake Recipes

Steps:

• In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, and 4 tablespoons water. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers, making sure any graininess has disappeared. Raise heat, and bring to a boil without stirring. Continue boiling, occasionally washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water to prevent sugar from crystallizing, until a candy thermometer registers 230 degrees, about 5 minutes. (Depending on the humidity, this can take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes.) Remove the syrup from heat (temperature will keep rising).
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup in a steady stream down side of bowl (to avoid splattering).
• Beat the frosting on high speed until cool, about seven minutes. It should be thick and shiny. Use immediately.

Steps:

• Heat 1 1/2 cups sugar, the water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Raise heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cook, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until syrup reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Once syrup reaches 230 degrees, remove from heat immediately.
• Meanwhile, with a mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Reduce speed to medium-low, and pour syrup into egg whites in a slow, steady stream down the side of the bowl. Raise speed to medium-high, and whisk for 6 minutes. Add vanilla; whisk until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Use immediately.

Steps:

• Place 1 meringue layer on a cake stand, and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream over its surface. Top with a slice of genoise. Brush genoise with one-third of the syrup. Spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream over genoise. Repeat layering 2 more times. Spread enough buttercream over sides of cake to fill in any spaces between layers and create a smooth surface. Refrigerate cake for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).
• Just before serving, spread frosting over cake, smoothing sides and creating peaks on top to resemble snowdrifts. Sprinkle top with sanding sugar. Gently press 3 cookies onto each side of cake, using 1 of each shape per side and alternating molasses and honey gingerbread. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a parchment round.
• Stir together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine the brown sugar and butter in another large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined (it's fine if the mixture looks a little curdled).
• Stir the molasses into the boiling water in a large spouted measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the molasses mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium and beat just until smooth.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 22 to 27 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack. Once cool, invert the cakes onto the rack, then peel off and discard the parchment.
• For the frosting: Combine the butter and cream cheese in a clean mixer bowl. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the confectioner's' sugar, beating until combined. Add the vanilla and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding up to 1 tablespoon of milk if needed so the frosting is spreadable.
• Place one cake layer flat-side down on a cake stand or platter. Top with about 3/4 cup of the frosting, spreading almost to the edges using an offset spatula. Place the remaining cake layer on top, flat-side up. Spread the remaining frosting on the entire cake and smooth the top and sides with the offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake while you decorate the gingerbread cookies.
• For the decorations: Meanwhile, microwave the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl until just melted. (Alternatively, melt the chips in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; do not let bowl touch the water.) Let cool slightly and put into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (or use a plastic ziptop bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe eyes and smiles on the gingerbread cookie faces.
• Arrange the merry gingerbread men side by side around the bottom edge of the cake, pressing in slightly to adhere. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the nonpareils.

Steps:

• Bring 1 1/2 cups sugar, the corn syrup, and water to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Continue to cook, without stirring but washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming, until mixture reaches 230 degrees, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, with a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Reduce speed to medium-low, and pour syrup in a slow, steady stream down side of bowl. Raise speed to high, and beat until thick, shiny, and cooled, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.

Steps:

• Whisk together egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Clip a candy thermometer to side of bowl. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk until mixture reaches 160 degrees and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• With a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg white mixture on high speed until cooled and thick, about 12 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla and spices. Buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using, and beat on low speed until smooth.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer.
• In a large heatproof mixing bowl, combine reserved egg whites, light corn syrup, cream of tartar, water, and sugar.
• Place bowl over simmering water (it should not touch water); with a handheld mixer, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.
• Remove bowl from heat; beat 3 to 5 minutes more to cool. Use immediately.

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, corn syrup, and water. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Rub a bit between your fingers to make sure there is no graininess. Raise heat to bring to a boil. Do not stir any more. Boil, washing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water from time to time to prevent the sugar from crystallizing, until a candy thermometer registers 230 degrees, about 5 minutes. (Depending on the humidity, this can take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Remove the syrup from the heat when the temperature reaches 230 degrees (it will keep rising as pan is removed from heat). With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl (to avoid splattering) containing the egg-white mixture.
• Beat frosting on medium until cool, 5 to 10 minutes. The frosting should be thick and shiny. Use immediately.