Ingredients
For the cookies
- 110 g unsalted butter soft, at room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 250 g all-purpose flour + more to dust the surface for rolling
For the cake
- 340 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ cdta ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1½ tsp salt
- 400 g brown sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 300 ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 460 g all-purpose flour
For the frosting
- 370 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 320 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 220 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
For the cookies
- Use a whisk to beat the butter, sugar and salt together until you have a creamy consistency.
- Add the egg and mix it in until fully incorporated.
- Add the vanilla and spices and mix once again.
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix using a spatula. Once the spatula isn't helping anymore, knead slightly with your hands.
- Cover the dough and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- If your dough has been in the fridge for more than 30 minutes, it's possible that you will have to wait a few minutes for it to come back to room temperature before rolling it out to prevent it from breaking. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it's 2-3mm thick.
- To make the houses I cut a piece of paper to 6cm/2in wide by 8cm/3in tall and about 3cm/1in for the roof. I cut them around the shape with a knife. I cut it to different heights and then cut out the windows in different shapes.
- Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookies from the surface.
- Place the cookies on a non-stick baking tray. If your tray is not non-stick, line it with baking paper or silpat first.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F for 8-12 minutes or until slightly golden.
- Let them cool down completely before decorating.
For the cake
- Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and spices until it's very soft and is lighter in colour, about 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs and beat again until the mix thickens. If you're using a stand mixer, remember to scrape down the sides every couple of minutes to make sure that everything is getting incorporated.
- Add the milk, vanilla, baking powder and flour and beat again only until incorporated.
- Prepare two 25cm/10in diameter cake pans by first greasing them with oil or melted butter. Stick a piece of baking paper cut to size to the bottom of the pan and grease the paper on top as well. Dust with flour, turn the pans upside-down and tap them to remove the excess.
- Distribute the batter between both pans. If you only have one, bake half the batter first and then the second half.
- Bake the cakes at 180°C/350°F for 30-40min or until you can insert a skewer or knife at the centre and it comes out clean.
- Let them cool down completely.
For the frosting
- Beat the butter for 3 minutes on high speed. Remember to stop every once in a while to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula if you're using a stand mixer.
- Add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat until it's very white.
- Add the sugar and spices and beat until fully incorporated, about 2min.
To assemble
- Place a bit of frosting on the cake stand or dish and place one layer of cake on top of it, upside-down so that the flat side is facing upwards. On top of that, distribute a generous amount of frosting.
- Place the other cake layer on top, again upside-down so that the flat side is facing upwards. Cover the top and sides of the cake using the rest of the frosting.
- Refrigerate the cake for 30min.
- Stick the houses to the sides of the cake, pressing gently against it. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Finish by dusting the cake and houses with icing sugar for a snowy effect.
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