
Naked Gingerbread Cake
A delicious Christmas cake reminiscent of frosted gingerbread cookies.
Naked Gingerbread Cake with Maple Bourbon Frosting
Recipe By: MADE.BY LIA
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
---
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 tsp vanilla
---
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
---
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, sugars & molasses until light and fluffy. Add vanilla to eggs. While the mixer is on low, add in one egg at a time, allowing to incorporate after each addition. Mix until smooth. In a separate bowl combine dry all of the dry ingredients & whisk to combine. Add the flour and milk to the mixture alternating 1/3 at a time starting & ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Spray three 8” round cake pans with baking spray. Evenly distribute the batter among the three pans. Smooth out the batter with a spatula, place into the oven and bake for approximately 20-30 minutes until the cake springs back when touched.
Let cake rounds cool.
Maple bourbon frosting:
4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you like your frosting!)
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp bourbon
---
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Directions:
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light & fluffy (about 10 minutes) Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix on medium speed for another 5-10 minutes. Add heavy cream, bourbon, maple syrup & vanilla, mix on low until incorporated.
To Assemble:
Place the 1st layer of cake on a round cake board. Using a spatula, add a layer of icing. Place the next round on top and repeat. Lightly ice the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting (it is a naked cake so you should see cake through!)
Optional Garnish: Add gingerbread cookies on top & dust with powdered sugar for a cute Christmas scene!
Apple Galette
A wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving dinner.
Apple Galette
Recipe By: MADE. BY LIA
Pie Crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
8 ounces unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/2 cup sour cream, cold
Directions
With pastry cutter, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder & cubed butter until small clumps form and mixture develops a crumbly texture. Clumps of butter should be no larger than the size of a pea. Add cold sour cream until just combined. Do not over mix! Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Apple filling
6 medium/large apples, sliced thin
3 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp apple juice or lemon juice
Directions
Peel and cut apples into thin slices. Place into a medium bowl with 2 Tbs apple juice or lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
Add in sugar & cinnamon, making sure each apple has been coated.
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 Tbs water
Whisk to combine, set aside
To Assemble
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 Tbsp butter, softened
On a floured surface, roll out pie crust into a circle, the dough should be 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Place apples onto dough, you can layer each slice into a circle to make a design or just pile them on, leaving enough room to fold over the edges of dough. Once your apples are placed in the center of the dough, fold over the excess dough covering the outer edge of the apples. Cut 2 Tbsp of butter into pieces and place sporadically on apples. With a pastry brush, brush egg wash over the edge of the dough & sprinkle with sugar.
Place into oven and bake until crust is golden brown, approximately 35-45 minutes.
Let cool, cut into slices and serve! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
*Can be made 1 day ahead, leave at room temperature in an airtight container.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
A delicious dessert for this autumn season! Pumpkin, nutmeg, and caramel makes a great combination.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Recipe By: MADE. BY LIA
Yield 12 cupcakes
Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Batter
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sour cream
---
2 eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
---
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Place both sugars, oil & pumpkin puree in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix to combine. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg & cloves.
- Add the eggs & vanilla to the sugar/pumpkin mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition, scrape down the bowl.
- Add 1/2 the flour, mix until incorporated, then add in sour cream and then add the remaining flour. Mix until batter is smooth.
- With an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into cupcake liners.
- Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, until golden and cake springs back when lightly touched.
Salted Caramel
1 cup sugar
2 tsp honey
3 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp coarse salt
---
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp bourbon (optional)
Combine sugar, salt, honey & water in a saucepan, cook over low/medium heat until sugar dissolves & turns dark amber in color. Remove from heat, slowly whisk in heavy cream & butter. Return back to medium heat & cook till the temperature reaches 235-240 degrees. Let cool
Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
1lb butter, unsalted, softened
1- 1 1/2 lb powdered sugar
1/2 vanilla bean or 4 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Directions
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth & fluffy, slowly add powdered sugar, then add cream and vanilla bean, mix until smooth.
To Assemble
Place caramel into a piping bag and fill each cupcake. With a spatula spread vanilla bean buttercream onto cupcakes or use a piping bag and a star tip to make a swirl on top. Drizzle caramel on top of cupcakes for extra yumminess!
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days.