Description

This rich and festive Chocolate Spiced Gingerbread House Cake combines dark chocolate, warm spices, and luscious layers of treacle buttercream to create a stunning centerpiece dessert perfect for holiday celebrations. The delicately spiced chocolate sponge is layered and coated with a creamy, spiced buttercream, then decorated with vanilla spiced biscuit cookies and royal icing to resemble a charming gingerbread house. This cake offers a delightful mix of chocolate indulgence and traditional gingerbread flavors, finished with snow-capped royal icing and festive cookie decorations.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Batter

325g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
300g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
175g light muscovado sugar
175g dark muscovado sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
6 eggs
200g 10% fat Greek-style yogurt
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
275g self-raising flour
45g cocoa powder

Treacle Buttercream

500g unsalted butter
1kg icing sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
30g treacle

Decoration

18–20 sponge fingers
250g royal icing sugar

Equipment

2 x 20cm square cake tins
Cake leveller or large serrated knife
Cake lifter, large palette knives or small baking sheet
Cake board
Small or medium palette knife
Ruler or ruled cake smoother
Cake smoother (optional but useful)
Piping bag

Instructions

Prepare Cake Tins and Melt Chocolate: Butter the base and sides of both 20cm square cake tins and line with baking parchment. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts or over a pan of simmering water without letting the bowl touch the water. Stir until smooth and leave to cool completely.
Preheat Oven and Mix Wet Ingredients: Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat butter, light and dark muscovado sugars, and vanilla bean paste together with an electric whisk or stand mixer for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl sides. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled.
Incorporate Chocolate and Yogurt: With the mixer on low speed, pour in the cooled melted chocolate and mix to combine. Then add the Greek-style yogurt and mix for about 20 seconds on low speed.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ½ tsp salt, baking powder, and self-raising flour. Sieve in the cocoa powder and mix well.
Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add dry ingredients to wet in three additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent dense sponge.
Fill Tins and Bake: Divide batter evenly between prepared tins and level the tops with the back of a spoon. Bake for 28-35 minutes, checking from 25 minutes when a skewer inserted into the center comes out slightly pasty, and the sponges shrink from the edges.
Cool Sponges: Cool cakes in tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks, remove parchment, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to two days.
Make Treacle Buttercream: Beat 500g softened unsalted butter until pale and creamy. Add icing sugar in three portions, beating slowly at first and then faster until pale and fluffy. Mix in ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and treacle until combined. Cover with a damp tea towel to prevent skin formation. Keep chilled up to three days; bring to room temperature before use.
Level and Layer Cake: Using a cake leveller or serrated knife, slice each sponge horizontally to create four layers. Place one sponge layer on a cake board suitable for the cake and fridge. Spread 200g buttercream evenly over the layer. Repeat layering with alternating sponge and buttercream layers, pressing gently to slightly push buttercream out between layers.
Crumb Coat and Chill: Smooth over the buttercream pushed out between layers to cover sides and seal crumbs. Chill cake for about 45 minutes or place briefly in freezer to firm up. Chill another 30 minutes, then apply a thin layer of buttercream (about 200g) over entire cake to seal. Avoid incorporating crumbs. Chill for 1 hour.
Final Buttercream Coat: Smooth another 200g buttercream over the sides and ends of the cake (not the roof). Use a cake smoother or palette knife for neat finish. Chill for 30 minutes.
Prepare Royal Icing and Decorate Roof: Mix royal icing sugar with enough water to make thick icing. Spoon or pipe over the roof and eaves to create snow-capped effect. Optionally, pipe small icicles by dragging icing downward along edges. Decorate with vanilla spiced biscuit cookie windows, door, star, and wreath by pressing into buttercream or icing. Secure sliding cookies with cocktail sticks if needed.
Set Decoration and Serve: Leave the cake to set at room temperature for a couple of hours. Remove any cocktail sticks before serving. Store cake in a cool place up to five days; cover cut surface well.

Notes

Use a gentle folding and low speed mixing technique when combining dry and wet ingredients to keep sponge light.
The cake layers are delicate, so use a cake lifter or palette knives when transferring between surfaces.
Buttercream can be made up to three days ahead; allow it to reach room temperature before assembling cake.
Check cake doneness a little early to avoid overbaking which can dry the sponge.
Use cocktail sticks to stabilize decorations if they tend to slide on the buttercream.
This cake is best enjoyed within five days of assembly for optimal freshness and presentation.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Cake
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: Chocolate gingerbread cake, spiced chocolate cake, gingerbread house cake, festive cake, treacle buttercream, holiday dessert