Gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting

Rich, moist and intensely spiced gingerbread made with honey and molasses, topped with a lightly salty cream cheese frosting made with Philadelphia. Deeply flavoured, perfectly spiced and wonderfully festive. The recipe is simple to follow and doesn’t require a mixer for the cake batter. It’s perfect for Christmas, but just as lovely on an ordinary winter afternoon when you want something warming and comforting.

Ingredients for the gingerbread:

• 125 g butter
• 80 g light soft brown sugar
• 180 g honey
• 180 g molasses
• 250 ml milk
• 1 large egg
• 375 g plain flour
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• a pinch of salt

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, honey, molasses and milk. Stir and heat gently until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly – the mixture may remain lukewarm. In a large bowl, whisk the egg, then add the lukewarm honey-butter mixture. Whisk just until combined. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices directly into the bowl, add the salt, and whisk again only until combined – do not overmix.

Line a 23 × 33 cm tin with baking parchment. Pour in the batter and level the surface.

Bake at 170°C for about 40–45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top (recipe below) and smooth with a spatula. Decorate as desired.

Ingredients for philadelphia cream cheese frosting:

• 300 g Philadelphia cream cheese
• 90 g butter
• 40 g icing sugar, sifted
• 85 g runny honey

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the honey and beat again. Gradually add the cream cheese in three batches, beating continuously until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary. The frosting should be smooth and free of butter lumps.

Enjoy!