This two-tiered gingerbread cake will be the star of your festive table

Overview

Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Serves: 20

Ingredients

(For the gingerbread biscuits)

• 150g runny honey

• 50g golden caster sugar

• 40g butter

• 300g plain flour; plus extra for dusting

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 egg

• 1 egg white

• 200g icing sugar

(For the cake layers)

• 250g butter; softened

• 100g icing sugar

• 2 tbsp runny honey

• 100g light brown sugar

• 4 eggs

• 350g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 80ml milk

• 150g redcurrant jelly

• 150g ready-to-roll fondant icing

(For the buttercream)

• 500ml milk

• 100g icing sugar

• 1 pack vanilla instant dessert mix

• 400g butter; softened

Method

1. For the gingerbread: Heat the honey, sugar and butter in a saucepan, stirring until melted. Bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour with the ginger, cocoa and baking powder. Add the honey-sugar-butter mixture, whole egg and knead to a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film, chill for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line the bases a 2 deep springform tins (18cm and 12cm) with baking paper.

4. For the cakes: Whisk the butter, icing sugar and honey until creamy. Gradually mix in the brown sugar and eggs. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture, add the cinnamon and milk and mix until smooth.

5. Divide the batter between the two tins. Bake the smaller cake for 25 minutes and the larger for 35 minutes. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely.

6. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Roll out the gingerbread dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 6–8mm, cut out house shapes (12–16cm in height), place on the baking sheets and bake for 15–20 minutes. Place on a rack to cool.

7. Beat the egg white until stiff, then gradually sift in the icing sugar while continuing to beat until stiff again. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and decorate the gingerbread houses.

8. For the buttercream: Bring 350ml of the milk and the icing sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Mix the remaining milk with the vanilla dessert mix until smooth. Pour the dessert mix into the boiling milk, stirring until thickened and creamy. Remove from the heat and cool, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a mixing bowl and gradually beat in the butter until combined.

9. To assemble: Cut each cake into 3 layers. Spread the redcurrant jelly and buttercream on the bottom and middle layers, then stack all three layers. Cover the cakes with the remaining buttercream and set the smaller cake on top of the larger one. Roll the fondant out into a long 1.5cm-wide band and press it around the edge of the bottom cake. Chill for at least 2 hours.

10. Decorate with the gingerbread houses, pressing each one gently into place in the buttercream.