Let the kids get super creative decorating these mini-gingerbread cake houses.
You'll Need
8 Tbsp softened, unsalted butter, plus more for pan
2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla powder (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
⅔ cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
For Assembly:
Icing sugar
½ cup vanilla or chocolate frosting
Prep and Cook
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in brown sugar. Add the molasses, baking soda mixture and flour mixture. Mix to combine.
Beat in eggs. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and cut into squares (assorted sizes).
To assemble the houses, cut one square into half, diagonally, and use the two triangular pieces as roofs for two other square pieces. Attach the ‘roofs’ to the ‘houses’ by using a small amount of icing to glue the pieces together. Continue building houses until all of your cake has been used.
Set the houses up on a tray and sprinkle icing sugar over the tops of all of the houses.
