GINGERBREAD LATTE CAKE

a recipe by Tessa Huff
For the Gingerbread Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare three 6 inch pans and set aside.  Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
2. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add in the brown sugar and cream together on medium speed.
4. On medium-low, gradually add in the eggs and molasses until incorporated.
5. Add in the grated ginger.
6. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
7. Alternating between dry and wet, add in the flour mixture and milk in 3 additions on low speed.
8. Once mixed, place the batter into the prepared pans.
9. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until done.
10. Cool on a wire rack before de-panning.
11. Once completely cool, carefully slice each cake in half to create 6 rounds.

For the Espresso Buttercream:
6 egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 ounces hot water

1. Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Whisk together slightly.
2. Create a double boiler by placing the mixing bowl on top of a medium saucepan of water.  Heat on medium-high.
3. Occasionally whisk the egg mixture until it is hot to the touch.  Remove from stove and set back on the mixer.
4. Fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the egg mixture is cool.
5. Once the bowl of the mixer feels room temperature, stop the mixer.  Switch out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
6. With the mixer of medium speed, add in the butter- a few tablespoons at a time.
7. Add in the vanilla and continue to mix until smooth.
8. Meanwhile, dissolve the espresso powder into the hot water.
9. Once the buttercream is done mixing, divide in half.  Reserve half for icing the cake.
10. Mix in the expresso into the second half of the buttercream.  Feel free to make the espresso flavor stronger by dissolving more powder into the 2 ounces of water.

Assembly:
Layer the gingerbread cake with a thin layer of espresso buttercream.  On every other layer, sprinkle with bits of toffee.  Ice the cake with the remaining half of the vanilla buttercream.