Gingerbread Christmas Celebration Cake

Get all the festive feels with this light cake filled with traditional festive flavours. The two layers of cake are sandwiched with a moreish maple syrup frosting, and it is adorned with gingerbread biscuits to make the ultimate Christmas celebration cake.
We recommend making the gingerbread cookies first; the dough can be made up to 4 days in advance and kept in the fridge. We have used a mixture of house and tree shaped cookie cutters but you can use your creativity and imagination to create your own bespoke cake. Ensure the cookies have cooled completely before decorating them.
How long will it take?
2 hours plus cooling time
What’s the serving size?
Serves 12
What do I need?
For the Gingerbread Cookies
400g plain flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120g brown sugar
1 x 700 g free range egg
150g treacle
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the cookie icing
1 free range egg white
120g icing sugar, sifted
2 drops liquid food colouring of your choice (optional)
For the cake
300g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp table salt
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
125 mL sour cream
125 mL buttermilk
200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200 g brown sugar
2 x 700 g free range eggs
60 mL treacle
380g JC’s Premium Fruit and Nut Mix, roughly chopped
120g JC’s Natural Pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
For the Maple Frosting
200 g butter, at room temperature
400g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp maple syrup
200 g icing sugar
How do I make it?
For the gingerbread cookies
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt, into a large bowl and set aside.
On a medium speed, beat together the butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add the egg, treacle, and vanilla, and mix well.
Reduce the speed and gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix well to combine. Turn out and gently knead on a lightly floured surface to form a smooth dough.
Divide the dough in half, form into discs and wrap each piece with clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 180C and line baking trays with baking paper.
Roll out one piece of the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately ½ centimetre thickness.
Use cookie cutters or handmade stencils to cut out shapes and place on the baking trays, about 2 centimetres apart. Cook one tray at a time for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to stand until they are firm, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the cookie icing
Beat egg white with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add icing sugar gradually, beating to glossy stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Add food colouring (if using) and stir to combine.
Spoon icing into a piping bag or a freezer bag with the end snipped off and pipe icing onto cooled cookies.
For the cake
Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease and line 2 x 20-centimetre round cake tins with baking paper.
In a large bowl sift together flour, cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ground cloves. Set aside.
Whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream and set aside.
Use a stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. Add treacle and blend to combine.
Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the sifted ingredients and the buttermilk mix, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
Turn off the mixer and pour in Fruit and Nut Mix and pecans and fold through by hand.
Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting
In a clean bowl make the frosting by beating butter until pale and light, scraping the edges to make sure all the butter is whipping. Slowly add the cream cheese, beating well between each addition, followed by the vanilla and maple syrup. Sift in icing sugar and mix until smooth.
To assemble the cake
Place one cake onto a cake stand or serving plate and spread with some frosting. Place second cake on top and cover the top and sides of the cake with frosting. Arrange the gingerbread cookies around the sides and top of the cake to decorate. Refrigerate until serving.