Embrace autumn with this gorgeously spiced Ginger Layer Cake topped with wine-poached pears and cream cheese frosting. A show-stopping celebration cake perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Heyyyyy! I am finally back from holiday and back with CAKE 🙂 And not just any cake, this ginger layer cake with wine poached pears and cream cheese frosting.
It has already been called “one of the best cakes I have ever tasted” to quote one of my husband’s colleagues. I think I want that embroidered on a pillow please. Another asked him if he married me for my baking (he didn’t, just for the record).
Even though it’s a looker, it’s actually really easy to make and tastes pretty amazing, if I say so myself. I used wine-poached pears between the layers and their reduced poaching syrup to drizzle over the cream cheese frosting.
If pears are not your cup of tea, you could use apples instead (have a look at the recipe notes) although the taste won’t be quite the same. And you could leave the fruit out altogether and just layer the cake with cream cheese frosting – it will still taste awesome.
How to poach pears
The trick here is to use firm pears, peeled but with the stalk still attached. Bring the wine, sugar and spices to a boil, stirring so that the sugar is dissolved. Add the pears and weigh them down with a small plate so they stay submerged. Cook for about 20 minutes then remove from the poaching liquid and cool before slicing.
Continue to simmer the poaching liquid until it is reduced and slightly viscous, then strain into a jar. You will use some of the delicious syrup on this cake but it can also be used in cocktails to add a lovely autumnal spice note and it is delicious over ice cream too.
How to make the ginger layer cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
This is my favourite method for making cake, the reverse creaming method. All this means is that the dry ingredients are mixed with the butter first and then the eggs and liquids are added. This can be done in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a food processor.
Step 1. Sift all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or use a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Mix (or pulse) on low speed to combine.
Step 2. Add the cubed butter and mix (or pulse) for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Step 3. Gradually add the eggs and honey while mixing on medium speed. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
Step 4. Add the milk and zest and beat on medium speed for a minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl. Continue mixing for a couple of minutes at maximum speed until batter is smooth.
Step 5. Fold 3 tablespoons of the chopped ginger into the batter, reserving the rest for topping, and divide between the cake tins. Bake for 50 minutes, until cakes are springy to the touch, coming away from the tin edges and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Step 6. Use a wire cake cutter to slice off the tops of the cakes (and secretly eat them, I mean share them!) and then neatly slice them in half to create four layers.
How to make the cream cheese frosting
Step 1. Only use full-fat cream cheese or mascarpone. Put in the bowl of your stand mixer together with icing sugar, double (heavy) cream, ground cinnamon and vanilla paste. Mix on low speed to combine – and avoid a powdered sugar storm – then increase the speed until the frosting holds peaks.
Step 2. Pipe or smooth the frosting over the cake, adding sliced pears and some of the poaching syrup between the layers. Repeat until you have used all the layers.
Step 3. Pipe frosting over the top of the cake and decorate with half a pear, sliced and fanned out. Drizzle with more syrup and top with the remaining chopped ginger. This cake is best eaten soon after it is assembled though it will last about a day in the fridge.
HAVE YOU MADE MY GINGER CAKE RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
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Ginger cake with wine poached pears and cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 350 g 12.3oz | 2 3/4 cups self-raising flour
- 330 g 11.6oz | 1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp honey
- 200 g 7oz | 3/4 cup + 1 heaped tbsp unsalted butter cubed
- 200 ml 7fl oz | 3/4cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 orange zest only
- 4 tbsp crystallised stem ginger finely diced
For the frosting
- 560 g 19oz | full-fat cream cheese
- 200 ml 7fl oz | 3/4cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 150 g 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the poached pears
- 5 firm pears peeled
- 1 bottle Merlot wine (750ml)
- 450 g 16oz | sugar
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 star anise
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- Strip orange peel
Instructions
- Put the wine, sugar and spices into a deep saucepan and heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add the pears and weigh down with a small plate.
- Simmer for 20 minutes then carefully remove to a plate and cool. Slice thinly, removing any seeds.
- Continue simmering the peaching liquid until it is reduced to a viscous syrup. Strain and transfer to a jar to cool.
- Add 100ml of water to the cavity in the bottom of your AEG Steambake oven, set the oven to ‘True Fan Cooking’ press the ‘SteamBake’ button and set the temperature to 160°C.
- Spray two 18cm (7in) cake tins with cake release and line the bottoms with baking paper.
- Sift all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine.
- Add the cubed butter and mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Gradually add the eggs and honey while mixing on medium speed.
- Add the milk and zest and beat on medium speed for a minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl. Continue mixing for a couple of minutes at maximum speed until batter is smooth.
- Fold 3 tbsp of the chopped ginger into the batter and divide between the cake tins.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Put all the ingredients for the frosting into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Start mixing on lowest speed setting until combined then increase the speed to medium-high until you have firm peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Use a wire cake cutter to level the top of the cakes. Carefully slice each layer in two.
- Place the bottom cake layer, smooth-side down on a cake platter or stand. Pipe a layer of frosting over it and top with pear slices. Drizzle with some of the poaching syrup.
- Repeat the process with the second and third cake layers topping with the fourth, smooth side up.
- Pipe frosting over the top of the cake and decorate with half a pear, sliced and fanned out. Drizzle with more syrup and top with the remaining chopped ginger.
a says
amazing!!!!
Laurie says
We made this cake last night as a trial run for a dinner party next month. We were very pleased! The merlot syrup was indeed very yummy on the cake and in the champagne. The recipe was easy to follow and we learned a few things to improve our next attempt. We used two 8-ounce pkgs of cream cheese which was 3 ounces short of the 19 called for. We adjusted the other frosting ingredients. It just didn’t give us enough frosting. We will likely increase to three 8-ounces pkgs next time and again adjust the other frosting ingredients. I also sliced the pairs too thin, but I’ll know next time. Overall, very pleased with our first attempt at a layered cake this size. Oh, the cake is very filling so keep the slices small!
Lucy Parissi says
Glad you liked it Laurie!
Leslie Ryan says
I love to bake and your ginger layer cake with poached pears looks amazing. But I’m not seeing the recipe no matter what I click on.
Lucy Parissi says
Not sure what you mean Leslie? The recipe is at the end of the post
Heather Dampier says
I cant find the recipe anywhere either Lucy. All I see is the comments.xo
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Heather – at the top of the recipe post you will see a button called “jump to recipe” this will take you directly to the recipe card at the bottom of the post
Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme says
This cake is just SO gorgeous! Would be a perfect show stopper for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Eden – it really is perfect for Fall celebrations 🙂
Jacqueline Debono says
You had me a t ginger! I love ginger flavoured food, sweet and sour. This cake really is a show stopper. Bookmarked for a special occasion!
Lucy Parissi says
I love it too – I have been know to snack on crystallised ginger!
Carmy says
Holy moly – the layers on this cake look stunning! I love how sturdy it looks too! I’m always worried that layered naked cakes will start tipping but this slice looks perfect!
Lucy Parissi says
The secret is tons of frosting 😉
Urvashee says
This cake looks stunning! I can tell it has the perfect ratio of frosting to cake to filling. I can just taste it.
Lucy Parissi says
It’s just sweet enough and very very chocolatey! Making it for ALL the birthdays!
Mairi says
Hi, I love this cake🎄🌲 but would like to bake it in 2x 8” tins instead.
I have a fan oven , any ideas about baking time.. and I imagine I would have to lower temp for fan oven! also
can the cake base be baked it in a rectangular baking tin 14×8” or so
Thanks
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Mairi – yes the baking time may have to be adjusted I would check after 25 minutes but my guess would be between 30-35. I haven’t tried a rectangular tin but I don’t see why not!
marnee says
What a pity!! My cake sank in the middle. I have made over ten of your cake recipes so far and they have always turned out perfectly. In fact your cakes are my go to if I want to be assured of perfection. I have got a niggling suspicion that it might be due to the quality of the self raising flour sold over here in Spain ( all the other recipes were baked with plain flour). Will have to stay with plain flour cakes or bring some self raising flour back with me next trip home.
Lucy Parissi says
On noooooo! That is such a shame, I am very sorry to hear it. You can use equal amounts of plain flour and add 1 tbsp of baking powder and 1 tsp baking soda instead of self raising flour. It can also be that if the flour has been sitting around (or the raising agents) for some time they stop being as effective. I hope you can make it again.
April says
This is the cake I’m going to make when I want to impress somebody. Wow – it is absolutely stunning.
Chrisitna says
This cake is absolutely amazing! What flavor and texture!
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Christina it turned out just as I imagined it 🙂
Justine Howell says
OH so yummy and I love naked cakes, a total hit!
Lucy Parissi says
Me too – so much less faffing around with frosting!
Krissy Allori says
This looks amazing! Such a pretty looking cake too!
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Krissy! Hope you enter the AEG competition (if uk based that is)
Jenni says
Oh, wow!! This cake is a total winner – utterly stunning and sounds so delicious! Perfect for fall, too! I definably need to make this ASAP!