Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: #Cranberry Ginger Holiday Cake from Ellie Alexander

Sunday, December 22, 2019

#Cranberry Ginger Holiday Cake from Ellie Alexander

There’s so much to celebrate right now from Winter Solstice to Hanukkah and Christmas. This time of year is nothing short of magical, especially in the kitchen. In our house we have a number of traditions, like getting to open one present on Christmas Eve. Spoiler alert: it’s always pajamas. Another tradition is our Christmas dessert buffet which includes a beautiful holiday cake. This year my Cranberry Ginger Holiday cake is going to take center stage amongst the other sweet treats. I’ve been baking cookies since the beginning of the month to share with friends and neighbors, so I wanted to bake something that’s a bit more of a showstopper (as they say on the Great British Bake Off). Not only is this cake packed with flavor, but it’s simple and easy to decorate. Cake artistry is not my skill set, so I love being able to create an elegant, festive cake that tastes great and looks pretty. What’s on your holiday dessert table this year?

Cranberry Ginger Holiday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter

1 ½ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsps nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsps ginger

1 small orange (juice and zest)

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

Fresh Cranberries (2 cups chopped—save remaining berries for the top of the cake)

Frosting:

2 cups butter (at room temp)

1 eight-oz package cream cheese (at room temp)

1 tsp vanilla

4 ½ to 5 cups powdered sugar

Fresh whole cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary for decoration

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together, add eggs, juice and zest of orange, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk until batter is smooth. Stir in cranberries by hand. Grease three eight-inch round cake pans and fill equally with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for thirty minutes or until cakes are golden brown.

Allow cakes to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting. Whip butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium speed until blended. Slowly incorporate powdered sugar, beat for another three to five minutes on medium high speed, until frosting is smooth and creamy.

Stack cakes by spreading a thin layer of cream cheese frosting between each cake. Use remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Adorn with whole cranberries and sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Wherever the holiday season finds you, wishing you joy, light, and sweet delights!

I’m so excited to have not one but two new books out in the world! A CUP OF HOLIDAY FEAR, the 10th book in the Bakeshop Mysteries and BEYOND A REASONABLE STOUT, the 3rd book in the Sloan Krause Mysteries.