Gingerbread With Sea-Salt Caramel Buttercream

This gingerbread has a wonderful salted caramel buttercream spread on top. Once tried it becomes very moreish, and addictive. The gingerbread will stay moist for several days in an airtight container.

Gingerbread With Sea-Salt Caramel Buttercream Recipe

Recipe Ingredients:

for the gingerbread

• 270g plain flour
• 150g butter (softened)
• 150g golden caster sugar
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 7 gratings of fresh nutmeg
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea-salt flakes (ground)
• 180ml milk (warmed)

for the salted caramel buttercream

• 150g golden caster sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 100ml double cream
• 1/2 tsp sea-salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 180g salted butter (softened)
• 250g icing sugar
• extra sea-salt flakes for sprinkling on top

Recipe Method:

Preheat oven to 160C – Grease and line an 18cm square baking tin

In a large mixing bowl beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until they are light and creamy. Next beat in the treacle, syrup, sunflower oil, eggs and egg yolks until everything is well combined. This may take a few minutes.

Into another bowl sift together the flour, ground ginger, grated nutmeg, cocoa powder, baking powder and sea-salt. Add half of this flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, (folding it in). Then beat in half of the warm milk – mix in the remaining flour and the remaining milk. Mix everything until well combined and becomes a nice cake batter.

Spoon the cake batter into the greased and lined cake tin and bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 160C, until the gingerbread cake has nicely risen. To test insert a skewer into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean and hot the cake is ready. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the salted caramel buttercream: in a non-stick saucepan heat the caster sugar and the water over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved and become a caramel. Turn the heat up and simmer the caramel for 2 or 3 minutes, until it just starts to change from golden to a slightly darker brown and slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat immediately – give it a minute then stir in the cream – the caramel may spit a little when you add in the cream. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract and set aside to cool completely.

Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy – then beat in the cooled caramel. This may take a few minutes. Spread the salted caramel buttercream icing over the cooled gingerbread and sprinkle over with a little extra sea salt (to taste). Cut and serve the Gingerbread in squares, or keep the cake in an air-tight container for a few days.