Ginger Squash Cake With White Chocolate Frosting Recipe Epicuriouscom

TRIPLE-GINGER LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment. Mix flour, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat just until batter is smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run small knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Peel off parchment.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add brown sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger and vanilla; beat until well blended. Mix in 1/4 cup crystallized ginger.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup crystallized ginger decoratively atop cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.)

WHITE CHOCOLATE-GINGER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• FOR CRUST:
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind cookies, sugar and ginger in processor. Add butter; blend until moist clumps form. Press onto bottom and up sides of pan. Chill while preparing filling.
• FOR FILLING:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over hot water until chocolate melts. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla and ground ginger. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate. Stir in crystallized ginger.
• Transfer filling to prepared crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake puffs and edges crack slightly, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer cake to rack. Run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Cool completely. Remove foil from pan sides. Chill cake overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• Release pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Top with chocolate curls.