The Who’s Hoegaarden® Gingerbread Layer Cake

Chef Roger Wilton
Bell MTS Place

Bring the essence of holiday pine into the kitchen with this festive tart, a creamy combination of pine nuts, ricotta cheese and orange zest.

Ingredients
Cake
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup Hoegaarden® beer

Icing
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp cream

Candied Pistachios
2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp water
1/4 cup pistachios, shelled

Method
Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease and flour 9×11″ baking pan.
3. With a mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Combine hot water and beer. Incorporate slowly into batter.
6. Pour batter into mixing pan. Place in oven for 1 hr. Check periodically.
7. Remove cake from oven and cool. Remove cake from the pan. Cut into rounds with 2-inch cookie cutter.
8. Slice rounds in half to make two layers.

Icing

1. With a mixer, cream butter with cream cheese until smooth.
2. Slowly add icing sugar.
3. Add vanilla and cream and mix until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more cream.

Candied Pistachios

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with pistachios.
2. In a pot, combine water and sugar. Place on stove over medium heat.
3. Stir until mixture starts to boil.
4. Insert sugar thermometer and cook until mixture reaches 300°F.
5. Pour mixture over pistachios. Set aside to cool.
6. When sugar is hardened, crack into large pieces.

Assembly

1. Place one half of the round on plate.
2. Spoon icing on the cake. Place second layer on top. Add more icing on second layer.
3. Garnish with shard of candied pistachios.

Yield 4 individual cakes