Go Back
–+ servings
Coffee ginger cake with molasses buttercream, topped with chocolate leaves and stroop wafels.

High Altitude Coffee Ginger Cake with Molasses Buttercream

Heather Smoke
A moist, tender and slightly dense cake flavored with ginger and espresso powder, frosted with sweet molasses buttercream.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings16

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ⅛ tsp baking soda
  • 1 14 oz can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp espresso powder

Buttercream & Garnish

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp meringue powder
  • ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tbsp molasses (not blackstrap)
  • candied or crystallized ginger, roughly chopped
  • mini stroop wafels
  • espresso powder
  • chocolate or candy coating, melted and poured into chocolate leaf molds

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 and grease three 8-inch pans with non-stick spray.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter and cream cheese for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another minute.
  • In another bowl, combine the flour, ginger, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  • Stir the espresso powder into the coconut milk to dissolve.
  • With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk, starting and ending with the flour.
  • Divide the batter between the pans.  Bake until done, about 21-25minutes, then set the pans on a wire rack, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel, until cooled completely.

Buttercream

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
  • Combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt, and add by spoonfuls to the mixing bowl while mixing on low.
  • Add the vanilla and molasses, and whip the buttercream on medium high, scraping the bowl occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until very light and fluffy, adding a little milk, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
  • Fill and frost the cake layers, sprinkling a little chopped candied ginger in between each layer.  Garnish the cake with the Stroop Wafels, chocolate leaves and more candied ginger.  Dust with espresso before serving.

Notes

Leftover cake should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or cake carrier, for up to 3 days.
Keyword Cake, Coffee, Ginger Molasses, High Altitude
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/