Gingerbread-Style Cake

Ingredients:

Spice Cake

• 60g Rye flour
• 70g Plain flour
• 7g Baking powder
• 2g Gingerbread spice mix
• 2g Fine salt
• 20g Whole milk
• 25g Whipping cream
• 135g Chestnut honey
• 70g Butter
• 65g Whole eggs
• 65g Chopped candied oranges

Oriado 60% Crunchy Coating

• 200g Oriado 60% Chocolate
• 20g Grape seed oil
• 45g Chopped roasted hazelnuts
• Oriado 60% Crunchy Coating

Oriado 60% Ganache

• 150g Whipping cream
• 140g Oriado 60% chocolate

Method:

Gingerbread-Style Cake

1. Sift together rye flour, wheat flour, spice mix and yeast.
2. Mix the whole eggs with the chestnut honey. Add the milk, cream, melted butter and chopped candied oranges.
3. Gradually add in the sifted dry ingredients, mixing all the while.
4. Line the cake tin with baking paper. Pour the cake batter into the tin.
5. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours.
6. Bake at 160°C for 40 minutes.
7. Turn out the cake and place it on its side on a rack so that it retains its shape and leave it to cool. Place it in the freezer for approx. 1 hour to make it easier to coat with glaze.

Oriado 60% Crunchy Coating

1. Melt the Oriado 60% chocolate at 45°C and add the grape seed oil and chopped roasted hazelnuts. Mix together.
2. Use this glaze at 35°C.

Oriado 60% Ganache

1. Melt the Oriado 60% chocolate.
2. Reheat the cream. Pour a third over the melted chocolate.
3. Mix vigorously with a spatula so its center looks elastic.
4. Add another third the same way. Then incorporate the final third using the same method.
5. Blend with a hand blender until the emulsion is perfect.
6. Leave to stiffen in the refrigerator, preferably for 12 hours.
7. Fill two piping bags, one with a plain round 12mm nozzle and the other with a fluted 10mm nozzle.

Assembly

Dip the frozen cake in the oil-based glaze. Pipe the ganache onto the cake. Decorate with chocolate pieces, orange zest, star anise and so on.

This gingerbread cake should be eaten at room temperature at least 3 hours after it has been made.

Chef’s Tip

The honey creates a really nice moist texture, so the cake is suitable for freezing.

This recipe can be tailored to your baking proficiency.

The spice cake is easy to make. The Oriado 60% crunchy coating adds a little more complexity. Piping out the ganache is the most difficult part of this recipe, but it’s not an insurmountable challenge!