This dessert features three layers of Five Spice Gingerbread Cake separated by Chestnut Cream and enrobed in cream cheese frosting spiked with nutmeg. Seaside gingerbread town optional.
Place the chestnuts in a large food processor. Blitz until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Pour the milk, sugar, and salt into a small saucepan. Add the chestnuts and place over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture up to the temperature of hot tea but do not allow it to come to a boil.
While the milk mixture is heating up, place the egg yolks in a bowl, and add the cornstarch. Whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, add a ladleful of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles break the surface.
Take the pastry cream off of the heat and immediately add the butter. Whisk until the butter melts and is fully incorporated. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, cover, and chill for 3 hours or overnight.
For the Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line 3 6" cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time followed by the yogurt, molasses, vanilla, and orange zest. Add the flour mixture in thirds, waiting for each addition to be fully incorporated before adding more.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Transfer the cakes to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of the cake and removed cleanly.
Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then wrap the cakes and chill for at least an hour before filling and frosting.
For the Frosting
Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Scraping the bowl down frequently, beat the butter and cream cheese until uniform and no lumps remain.
Sift the confectioner's sugar into a large bowl. Discard and lumps. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with a whisk. Add half of the sugar mixture and whisk on low until incorporated. Add the remaining half and repeat.
Finally, add the salt, nutmeg, and coloring if using, and beat until fully integrated. Cover the frosting and keep at room temperature until ready to use.
To Assemble
Cut the domes off of each chilled layer of cake. Spread a little frosting in the center of a cake board and place the first layer on top. Cover the layer with chestnut cream and place the second layer on top and repeat.
Once the third layer is in place, cover the cake with a thin layer of the cream cheese frosting to create a crumb coat. Chill the cake for 30 minutes.
Frost the cake evenly with the remaining frosting and refrigerate until ready to serve. Take the cake out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off of the cake.
Notes
**If your five-spice blend contains salt, reduce the salt called for in this cake to 1/2 a teaspoon.
Keyword chestnuts, cream cheese, five spice powder, layer cake