Naked Gingerbread Cake

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

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

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.