Small Vanilla Orange Gingerbread Cake (Print-Friendly Format)

Moist vanilla orange cake meets gingerbread pudding and mousse for a festive, creamy treat, ideal for holiday gatherings.

# Ingredients You’ll Need:

→ Gingerbread Pudding

01 - 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
02 - 2 tablespoons corn starch
03 - 120 millilitres milk (2% or whole), divided
04 - 1.5 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
05 - 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
06 - 1 tablespoon water
07 - 120 millilitres heavy whipping cream
08 - 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger
09 - 0.25 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 0.125 teaspoon ground cloves
11 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Vanilla Orange Cake

12 - 155 grams all-purpose flour
13 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
14 - 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
15 - 0.125 teaspoon salt
16 - 90 millilitres milk, at room temperature
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from about half an orange)
18 - 80 grams full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
19 - 1 teaspoon orange zest (zest from one orange)
20 - 135 grams granulated sugar
21 - 60 millilitres canola oil or other neutral oil
22 - 1 large egg, at room temperature
23 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Gingerbread Mousse

24 - 0.5 batch prepared gingerbread pudding
25 - 120 millilitres cold heavy whipping cream
26 - 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, corn starch, and half of the milk until smooth and no lumps remain.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine molasses, dark brown sugar, and water. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add heavy cream and remaining milk, cooking just until small bubbles form at pan edges.
03 - Lower heat and gradually whisk half of the warm liquid into the egg mixture to temper, then return all to saucepan.
04 - Stir in ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, until mixture thickens and bubbles.
05 - Remove from heat, add butter, and stir until melted. Transfer to a bowl (optionally strain to ensure smoothness), press plastic wrap directly on surface, and let cool at room temperature briefly before refrigerating until set.
06 - Preheat oven to 175°C. Line bottoms of two 15-centimetre round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease.
07 - In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
08 - In a jug, combine milk, orange juice, sour cream, and orange zest.
09 - In a medium bowl, mix granulated sugar and oil until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
10 - Mix in half the milk mixture, then half the dry ingredients, folding just until combined. Add remaining milk mixture and the rest of the dry ingredients, folding until only just combined, avoiding overmixing.
11 - Divide batter equally between pans. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until cakes are golden, spring back when touched, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
12 - Remove pans to a wire rack. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely.
13 - Whip cold heavy cream (with powdered sugar if using) in a bowl with a hand mixer to stiff peaks. Gently fold one third of whipped cream into half of the chilled gingerbread pudding, then fold mixture into remaining whipped cream until fully incorporated.
14 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Pipe or spoon half the pudding onto the centre, leaving a border. Pipe a ring of gingerbread mousse around pudding and on top. Place second cake layer on top and frost cake with remaining mousse. Chill if not serving immediately.

# Extra Tips:

01 - Allow pudding to cool and set fully in the refrigerator before assembling for ideal texture.
02 - For smooth pudding, strain through a fine mesh sieve after cooking.
03 - Use a cake dome or carrier to keep assembled cake fresh during refrigeration.
04 - For even cake layers, weigh or use a scoop to divide batter.
05 - Do not overmix the cake batter to maintain tenderness; a few small lumps are acceptable.

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