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- 250g butter
- 400ml Golden syrup
- 4 eggs
- 20g ginger, ground
- 10g cinnamon, ground
- 5g mixed spice
- 5g salt
- 500g self-rising flour
- 20g Baking powder
- 5g Bicarb soda
- 480ml milk
- 185g honey
- 40g caster sugar
- 40g butter
- 1 egg
- 8g mixed spice
- 335g flour
- 2g bicarb soda
- 8ml water
- 750g cream cheese
- 1 lemon juiced
- 80g caster sugar
- 350ml cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g brown sugar
- 5g sea salt
- 90ml water
- 150g cream
- 75g unsalted butter
Gingerbread cake
Grease and line a rectangle baking pan. And set aside. Melt butter with golden syrup, then add the milk and whisk in the eggs Sift together the dry ingredients and then fold into the wet mixture. Pour into the lined baking tin and bake for about 40 minutes until cooked in the centre. Set aside to cool. For the cake crumbs: Cut 1/3 of the cake and crumble roughly onto a lined baking tray and bake at 140°C until dried. Set aside or store in an airtight container until ready to use Gingerbread men. Heat the honey and sugar to 65°C and transfer to a mixer with a paddle attachment, add the butter, and mix, add the flour, egg & mixed spice, & then dissolve the bicarb in the water & add to the dough. Roll into a ball & cover for about ½ hour. Roll out to about 4-5mm thick & cut out shapes & place on a lined baking tray. Bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes until cooked.
Cream cheese layer
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, scraped vanilla bean and sugar until smooth. Add ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice and mix until smooth. Add the cream and whip until thick and then add the lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Caramel Sauce
Make a dry caramel by heating a little sugar in a saucepan and heat until melted, slowly adding in all the sugar until a dark caramel. Add the water and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Add the butter and melt and set aside to cool and thicken. Keeps in air tight container for a month.
To assemble the trifle
Cut the remaining cake into chunks and place a layer on the base of the trifle bowl. Drizzle a small amount of caramel sauce over the cake. Arrange the gingerbread men to sit on top of the cake around the inside of the bowl, facing out. Top cake layer with cream cheese mixture and allow to set. Place another layer of cake and drizzle with a little caramel sauce and top with gingerbread crumbs. Spoon a little extra whipped cream on top and decorate with gingerbread men. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 4 hours. Can be made the night before and refrigerated overnight.