Maple-Gingerbread Layer Cake with Salted Maple-Caramel Sauce
A decadent layer cake combining the warm flavors of gingerbread with pure maple syrup, topped with a salted maple-caramel sauce and candied pecans. This elegant dessert features a creamy crème fraîche frosting and is spiced with Chinese five-spice powder and crystallized ginger.
Ingredients
- •¾ cup pecan halves, toasted
- •¼ cup pure maple syrup
- •1 pinch Coarse kosher salt
- •2½ cups all purpose flour
- •1½ teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- •1 teaspoon baking soda
- •½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- •⅓ cup chopped crystallized ginger
- •1 cup maple sugar
- •¾ cup unsalted butter
- •2 whole large eggs
- •¾ cup hot water
- •⅔ cup mild-flavored molasses
- •1⅓ cups chilled crème fraîche
- •1⅓ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- •½ cup maple sugar
- •6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- •1 serving Salted Maple-Caramel Sauce
- •Chinese five-spice powder info
- •Sichuan peppercorns
- •cinnamon
- •star anise
- •ingredient note
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Place large piece of foil on work surface. Combine nuts and maple syrup in heavy medium skillet (do not use nonstick) over medium-high heat and bring to boil, tossing to coat. Cook until syrup is dark amber and almost cooked away and thickly coats nuts, tossing often, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Scrape nuts onto foil. Working quickly with 2 forks, separate nuts. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Cool until coating is crisp and hard, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Pecans can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
65 min
- 2.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Combine first 4 ingredients in processor; add ginger. Blend until ginger is finely ground, about 1 minute. Using mixer, beat maple sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time (batter may look curdled). Stir 3/4 cup hot water and molasses in small bowl. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture in 4 additions alternately with molasses mixture in 3 additions.
15 min
- 3.
Divide batter between prepared pans (about 21/2 cups each). Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.
32 min
- 4.
Combine crème fraîche, cream, and both sugars in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until very thick and stiff.
10 min
- 5.
Cut around pan sides to loosen cake layers; turn out onto racks. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 1 1/3 cups frosting. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons caramel sauce. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting smoothly over top and sides of cake. Drizzle top of cake with 3 tablespoons sauce. Cover with cake dome; chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before continuing.
60 min
- 6.
Cut pecans into pieces or leave whole. Press pecans into frosting on sides of cake. Cut cake into wedges. Spoon sauce over.
10 min