Gingerbread Cake with Creamy Lemon Frosting

I love ginger, in almost any form and the thought of some gingerbread fairly sets me salivating.  So I decided upon Gingerbread Cake with a Creamy Lemon Frosting.  The first thing to do, of course, is to make the gingerbread cake and allow it to cool completely.

Then a nice frosting, with cream cheese, lemon, or lemon curd and icing sugar smoothed over the top of the cake before cutting into squares  turns the whole thing into a wonderful tasting treat.

As ever the aroma from the oven whilst the cake is baking is just fantastic, all that gingery goodness filling the room.

Ingredients:
For the cake:

• 113 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 110 g light brown muscovado sugar
• 50 g granulated white sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 120 ml black treacle or molasses
• 260g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tspground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• Zest of 1 lemon or orange
• 240 ml milk, at room temperature

• 170g cream cheese
• 30g unsalted butter
• 60ml lemon curd
• 320g icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C160C Fan/350F
2. Grease and flour and 8 inch square cake tin at least 2 inches deep. It is a good idea to also line the base of the tin with parchment paper since the cake is moist and this will help prevent any possibility of sticking to the bottom.
3. Line the outside of the cake tin with brown paper, tied with string (this is to stop the sides of the cake baking too quickly and not rising in line with the rest of the cake).
4. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and cloves  into a large bowl and then set aside.
5. In a stand mixer(or a hand held mixer) cream the butter.
6. Add both sugars and mix until light and fluffy.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until comined.
8. Add the black treacle or molasses and beat until combined.
9. Grate the zest from a lemon or orange and add to the dry mixture, stirring in with a whisk.
10. Add the flour to the mixer, in 3 stages, alternating with half the milk between stages.
11. Mix until just combined.
12. Pour the batter into the cake tin and shake to level it out nicely.
13. Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean.  It is best to check this after about 35 minutes so you can gauge how much longer to cook for.
14. Remove from the oven and place the tin on a cooling rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
15. Remove the cake from the tin and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
16. Beat the lemon curd, cream cheese, butter and icing sugar together to make the frosting.
17. Once you have a nice creamy consistency use a palate knife to cover the top of the cake with the frosting.
18. Cut the cake into 9 pieces to serve.