Triple Layer Spice Cake Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Butter and flour 3 (8 inch) round cake pans.
• 2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
• 3. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer mix the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beat well after each egg is added. Beat in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately.
• 4. When the batter is well mixed and smooth, divide it into the 3 cake pans and bake approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• 5. While waiting for the cakes to cool make the butter cream: Beat the butter, shortening and salt together until creamy. Add half the confectioner's sugar and beat until fluffy (5 minutes). Combine vanilla extract and heavy cream. Gradually beat in the remaining confectioner's sugar alternating with the cream mixture until light and fluffy.
• 6. If the cake layers have domed a little slice off the tops with a long serrated knife so they are flat and even.
• 7. Place the first layer cut side down on whatever you're going to serve it on. Spoon about 3/4 cup of butter cream onto the center of the cake layer. Spread it to the edges. Repeat with the remaining layers. Garnish the top with nuts and cocoa powder

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients; cook and stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool. , In a large bowl, beat egg yolks; gradually stir in spice mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to spice mixture until blended. Stir in pecans. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into the batter. , Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 325° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. To decorate, spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake, leaving cake slightly exposed on the sides. If desired, top with pecans, cinnamon sticks, fresh bay leaves, fresh rosemary sprigs and confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• FOR CAKE: In a medium bowl soak dried fruit in rum at least an hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then butter paper. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. In a large bowl beat sugar, oil, sour cream, and molasses with a mixer on medium-high until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Strain fruit, adding any liquid to batter and setting aside fruit. Beat in one-third of the flour mixture until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl; add half the milk and mix to combine. Add half the remaining flour mixture then remaining milk, scraping sides of bowl and mixing just to combine between additions. Beat in remaining flour until batter is combined and uniform. Fold in hazelnuts and soaked fruit. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely in pans on wire racks. Remove from pans. If desired, wrap and freeze cakes up to 1 month. *TO TOAST NUTS: Spread hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, shaking pan once or twice. To remove hazelnuts' papery skins, rub warm nuts in a clean, dry kitchen towel until skins come loose. BUTTERCREAM: In an extra-large bowl beat unsalted butter and powdered sugar with a mixer on medium 3 to 4 minutes or until fluffy. (The mixture may appear crumbly at first but will come together.) Beat in vanilla. In a large bowl fold together buttercream and Homemade Lemon Curd. Spread a thick layer between cake layers, then frost cake with remaining. Secure cake layers with long skewers, if necessary, until set. Loosely cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Let stand 1 hour before serving. FOR CANDIED HAZELNUTS: Note: Save these until an hour or two before you're ready to top and serve the cake; humidity and temperature can wilt the caramel strands. Set a heavy cutting board or 15x11-inch baking pan along the edge of the counter. (Skewers will wedge under the cutting board while candied hazelnuts set.) Place parchment paper on floor below to catch caramel drips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until toasted. Transfer to a towel; rub to remove loose skins. Gently twist a wood skewer into each hazelnut while warm; set aside. In a medium saucepan stir together sugar, the water, and corn syrup. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down any sugar crystals on sides of saucepan as mixture comes to boil. Bring mixture to boiling over medium-high without stirring. Reduce heat to medium. Once mixture starts to caramelize (about 15 minutes), remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel and lift to see if caramel is ready. When caramel coats hazelnut and drips off in long strands, secure end of skewer under cutting board, letting caramel drip onto the parchment paper below. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Let stand until caramel is set, about 15 minutes. Gently twist skewers to release hazelnuts; arrange on cake. TO FINISH: If desired, arrange Candied Hazelnuts or spun sugar on cake. Makes 18 servings.

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans; line with parchment. Butter and flour parchment, tapping out any excess.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, and eggs until well combined; fold in grated and diced apples. Add flour mixture; mix just until combined. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth tops.
• Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans 20 minutes, then invert onto wire racks; remove parchment. Invert cakes again; let cool completely on racks.
• Frosting: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat 5 minutes.
• Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup frosting evenly over it; top with a second cake layer. Repeat with another 1 cup frosting and third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 days. Return to room temperature before serving. Garnish with apple chips, if desired; use a serrated knife to slice cake.

Steps:

• Butter and line a 23cm square baking tin (or use a shallow roasting tin, approx 30 x 20cm). Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Put the butter, sugar and treacle into a saucepan and heat gently for about 5 mins until the butter and sugar have melted. Stir in the milk. The mix should be just warm to the touch; if not, leave to cool a little longer, then beat in the eggs.
• Mix the chopped ginger and dry ingredients together in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the melted mix into the well, then gradually draw the dry ingredients into the wet with a wooden spoon, until you have a thick, smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then bake for 1 hr until risen and firm to the touch. Resist taking a peek beforehand; the cake will sink if the oven temperature drops too quickly before it's cooked through. Poke a skewer into the centre to check that it's cooked - it should come out clean. If not, give it 10 mins more and check again. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. Once completely cool, turn out of the tin ready for icing, or wrap well in cling film and keep in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
• To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the gingery syrup. Beat well until you have a smooth, runny icing. Once the cake has cooled, drizzle with icing and cut into squares. If you're planning to let the cake mature for a while, make the icing on the day you want to cut it.