For the sponge
330g unsalted butter, softened
330g Siúcra Brown Sugar
300g self raising flour
6 large eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tbsp ground ginger
1tsp all spice
1tbsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt 
3tbsp milk

For the buttercream
600g Siúcra Icing Sugar, sieved
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp cinnamon 
1 tsp ground nutmeg
300g unsalted butter, softened 

To decorate
30g Siúcra Icing Sugar
2 packs Siúcra Roll Out Icing
Red food colour
Cocoa powde

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 4. Line three 20cm tins with non-stick parchment paper.

2. Beat together the butter and Siúcra Brown Sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly stream in the eggs, mixing after each addition.

3. Sieve in the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Add in the milk and mix until just combined.

4. Divide the mix evenly amongst the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool to completely.

5. For the buttercream, sieve together the Siúcra Icing Sugar and spices in a large bowl. Beat in the butter until smooth. Use some boiling water to loosen the mixture to a spreadable consistency.

6. To ice the cakes, place the first sponge onto the cake board; use a teaspoon of buttercream to help the cake stick. 

7. Spread over some of the buttercream and add the next sponge on top. Repeat this step to add the third cake.

8. Using a palette knife or offset spatula, spread the buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, making sure to fill in any gaps. There will be crumbs in the icing so place the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

9. Once set, spread over more buttercream to cover any crumbs and smooth out. Refrigerate the cake until set.

10. To cover the cake with Siúcra Roll Out Icing, knead both packets of icing together, until elastic. Roll the icing on a surface dusted with Siúcra icing sugar, working quickly to stop it from dying out. Lift the roll out icing and drop it onto the cake.

11. Smooth the roll out icing around the top edge first, then stretch and pull the icing around the edges until all the sides are smooth. Use a cake smoother to smooth the rest of the cake.

12. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess roll out icing. Place the excess in a sandwich bag until ready to use.

13. Use a festive ribbon to decorate the base of the cake. Wrap the ribbon around the base, cut to size and use a clothespin or some tape to attach it to the cake.

14. For the cake decorations, take some of the excess roll out icing and add a few drops of red food colour. Knead the colour into the icing until the icing is red; add more red until you reach your desired colour. 

15. Taking some of the excess white roll out and some of the red icing, roll both colours into small balls, enough to go around the top edge of the cake. 

16. Using a paintbrush and a little water, brush the top edge of the cake with a little water. Stick the red and white balls of icing around the top edge, alternating colours.

17. To make the gingerbread man decoration, take some of the excess white roll out. Knead in some cocoa powder into the icing until you reach your desired gingerbread man colour. 

18. Roll the brown icing to 5mm thick and using a small gingerbread man cutter stamp out two gingerbread men shapes. Brush the bottom of the shapes with water and stick them to the cake. Create the face and buttons with some of the remaining red and white fondant, using a little water to stick them on.

19. To make the candy cane decoration, take some of the red roll out icing and a small piece of the white roll out. Roll both the red and white roll out into two long sausage shapes. Take both pieces and twist them together to give the striped candy cane look. 

20. Arch the top of each piece to make the candy cane shape. Place it in between the gingerbread men. 

Siúcra x Easy Food