Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

It's full speed ahead for Xmas now so to start the season off, I made a gingerbread cake with molasses cream cheese frosting.

 This is a big cake!  Three layers and it is dense and moist. I got this recipe from a blog in the UK so I weighed my ingredients:

• For the gingerbread cake
• Dry ingredients
• 350g | 12.3oz plain flour
• 330g | 11.6oz dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ––––––––
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp treacle (molasses)
• 200g | 7oz cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 200ml | 7fl oz whole milk + 1 tbsp fresh orange or lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 orange
• 3 tbsp very finely diced candied (crystallised) ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line three cake tins - or spray with cake release.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients and add them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine.
3. Add the cubed butter and mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles sand.
4. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the treacle.
5. Add the milk, vanilla extract and zest and beat together. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl. Continue mixing for a couple of minutes until batter is smooth.
6. Fold the chopped ginger into the batter and divide between the prepared cake tins.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting: 

• 2 8 oz pkg cream cheese
• 1 stick butter
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp milk

For the Frosting

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until combined.
2. Add molasses and vanilla. Beat on low until well combined.
3. Add a little powdered sugar at a time. Mix until each addition is well combined.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of milk after 4 cups of powdered sugar have been added.
5. Finish mixing in the powdered sugar and the remaining teaspoon of milk.
6. Frost cake once it has cooled completely.

 I always place waxed paper around the bottom layer to keep the cake plate clean.  Just pull it away after frosting.

 I forgot to take a pic of all three layers assembled.

 I also refrigerate this for several hours before cutting.

 This has an extra gingery flavor because of the addition of the candied ginger.

 It tastes like Xmas!