With my spotty record when it comes to big, three-layer cakes from any of the Baked books, I was tempted to make cupcakes instead. But I got brave and forged ahead anyway.
The Baked three-layer cakes are wonderful – none of the problems I’ve had have anything to do with the recipes. It’s just me. I’m not a great maker of spectacular cakes, and I always seem to get something wrong.
This cake is interesting. It’s got a lot of flavors going on, and it’s lightened up with beaten egg whites. This helps it not be too much like gingerbread, with the molasses in there.
The buttercream is the standard Baked recipe – cooked milk, sugar and flour for the base and lots and lots of butter. I’m a fan of this buttercream because it’s light and stable and always tastes great. And this one really does taste like eggnog, with a bit of rum and fresh nutmeg.
Everything went surprisingly well as I was making the cake layers. I had all three 8″ pans on hand. I didn’t forget ingredients. It mixed up beautifully and I put the pans in to bake, rotating them halfway through to ensure even baking.
As I was taking the cake pans out of the oven, I gently poked at the top of each to see if it looked done. I had already put a skewer in and it came out clean, but a second good test is to see if the cake will spring back when poked. It did. And then I got to the third and last pan. It slipped out of my grip as I was pulling it out and flipped upside down onto the open oven door. Butterfingers!
Larry and I tried to salvage it, but it was too late. We scooped it up from my thankfully newly cleaned oven floor, held a little memorial service, and then proclaimed it Finger Cake. Meaning, we ate it bit by bit with our fingers. And man, this is one good cake. It’s got a perfect, light texture but still tastes a lot like gingerbread.
My alternate plan was to make a two-layer cake instead. I cut each layer in two so I actually did a 4-layer cake. Take that, butterfingers!
It’s not a beautiful cake. It’s a little homely, a cake with a secret. Perfect for the holidays, spot-on flavor and texture. I love this cake.
For the recipe and to see how the other Baked Sunday Morning bakers fared, head over to Baked Sunday Mornings.
- Holiday Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream (Baked Elements, p. 144)
Your cake looks PERFECT! Super even layers and the buttercream looks so smooth! Congrats!
Well, I have a few comments for you…when I first viewed your post and saw 4 layers, I was quite impressed…and I remain impressed, but I disagree…this is such a BEAUTIFUL cake and looks perfect! Mine looks more rustically beautiful as I kept my sides bare, however, yours is a cake I would choose to indulge in at a fancy restaurant or dessert shop, it’s so invitingly edible.
Great idea to cut your layers in half and to create 4 layers…so extra special, and since you had enough frosting it looks perfect. And, I’m impressed that your oven is clean at this baking/cooking time of year. And, I’m jealous that you had finger cake. I kept out a tiny bit of batter to bake separately from my cake so I could taste this cake which is waiting patiently for a birthday party later today…and you are right, this is a really yummy cake with wonderfully delicious frosting. So, good job being “Butterfingers” with this buttercream frosted cake. Enjoyed your post!
Merry Christmas!!!
What a recovery, Sheri! Your cake looks bakery-perfect! I’m sure everyone who was lucky enough to try it loved it!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
This is spectacular as a four-layer cake, and your frosting job is immaculate — gorgeous!
I’ve had the same thing happen to me before. Great save and a beautiful cake!
A four layer cake! Now that is good looking! Oh my!
I agree, this is one good cake with a perfect texture. I love that it isn’t a dense cake. (as is generally associated with a spiced cake)
Merry Christmas to you too.
What a stunning cake! I love the Baked buttercream method, so nice and fluffy.