Chocolate Gingerbread Wreath Cake

METHOD

Start by making the chocolate gingerbread sponge:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Grease and line the base and sides of two 7-inch round cake tins with baking paper. It also helps to use cake strips to ensure your cakes rise with a flat, level top.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together until well combined and there are no lumps.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. Then slowly whisk in the boiling water bit by bit, so you don't end up cooking the eggs!
4. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth and combined (it will be very thin).
5. Divide evenly between the baking tins and bake for 45 minutes until the sponges are risen and springy to the touch. Don't worry if they've cracked on top, this is normal. Leave the sponges to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn upside onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Meanwhile make the gingerbread salted caramel:

6. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir the water and sugar together. Be careful not to splash the water up the sides of the saucepan.
7. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil (this will take 5-10 minutes). Do not stir, just swirl the pan from time to time. Over the next 10-20 minutes the liquid will turn from clear, to light brown, to dark golden brown.
8. As soon as the liquid is a dark amber brown, remove from the heat and pour in the cream. Be careful of splashes! Stir until the caramel is smooth and glossy.
9. Stir in the salt and spices, then pour the caramel into a jar and leave to cool. The caramel will thicken up as it cools down.

Now make the Swiss meringue buttercream:

10. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer.
11. Set the bowl over a small saucepan filled with two inches of simmering water on medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the saucepan touch the water. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture no longer feels grainy when rubbed between your thumb and finger. This will take roughly 5-10 minutes.
12. Attach the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until the meringue reaches stiff glossy peaks that stand tall and don’t curl over (roughly 10-15 minutes). The meringue and mixing bowl should no longer feel warm. If they do, pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes.
13. Swap the whisk attachment for the paddle and set the mixer to medium speed. Cut the butter into cubes and add it bit by bit, making sure the butter is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
14. Once all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to slow and mix in the vanilla and salt. The Swiss meringue buttercream should be thick, creamy, and silky smooth.

Time to decorate:

15. Use a sharp knife to level off your cakes if they've domed on top. You want to get them as flat and even as possible.
16. Place one sponge layer on a cake stand or plate and spread a thick layer of Swiss meringue buttercream on top. Pipe a thick ring of buttercream around the outside, then fill the middle with the gingerbread caramel.
17. Flip the second cake layer upside down and place on top to sandwich the two sponges together. Cover the top and sides with the remaining buttercream.
18. Arrange your gingerbread star biscuits in a circle on top of the cake, layering the shapes and alternating between sizes. Finish by dotting gold star sprinkles around the outside of the cake. Slice and enjoy!