a 10-inch (25 cm) Bundt pan or tube pan with a 9-10 cup (2.2-2.4 litre) capacity
Ingredients
2½cups(340 g) gluten-free flour blend(or regular flour for non-gluten-free)
1teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoon baking soda
½teaspoonfine sea salt(omit if using salted butter)
2 teaspoonscinnamon
2teaspoonsground ginger
1teaspoonground nutmeg
½teaspoonground cloves
½teaspoonground allspice
¼teaspoonground black pepper
10tablespoons(142 g) unsalted butter(½ cup + 2 tablespoons)
2tablespoonsoil
1 cup(200 g) dark brown sugar, packed
2largeeggs
½cup(150 g) orange marmalade
½teaspoonpure almond extract
1cup(240 ml) water
8 oz(227 g) prepared almond paste or marzipan
for Decoration:
1- 2tablespoonsicing sugar/confectioner's sugar for dustingoptional
a few tablespoons of almond paste or marzipan plus green food colour for leavesoptional
a few cranberries (or marzipan and red food colour) to make berries, plus a tablespoon of milk to dip the berries in and clear sanding sugar or granulated sugar for coating the berries and leavesoptional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Brush the inside of the Bundt pan or tube pan generously with softened butter. Dust it with gluten-free flour (or regular flour for non-gluten-free), and tap out the excess.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and pepper in a bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil, and brown sugar until well combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the marmalade and almond extract and beat well again.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the water, beating after each addition (⅓ of the flour, ½ of the water, ⅓ of the flour, ½ of the water, ⅓ of the flour).
Scrape the batter into the greased and floured baking pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.
Knead the almond paste or marzipan to a ball, then roll it into a rope that is about 16 inches (40cm) long. Lay the marzipan rope in a circle on top of the batter in the pan. It will sink into the cake as it bakes.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched.
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the pan onto a cooling rack so the cake releases. Tap the bottom gently if it doesn't come out right away. Let the cake cool completely on the rack.
To Decorate the Cake:
You can simply dust the cake with powdered sugar/icing sugar shaken over it through a fine-meshed sieve and it's ready to serve.
Or knead some green gel food colour into a small ball of almond paste/marzipan, then roll it out, and cut out leaves or holly leaves with a knife. For berries, you can use whole, fresh or frozen cranberries, or make marzipan berries (knead a small dot of red gel food colour into a knob of almond paste/marzipan and then roll it into small berry-sized balls).
Brush the marzipan leaves with milk and sprinkle them with sanding sugar, and dip the marzipan balls (if using them) in milk, then roll them in sanding sugar. If using cranberries, dip them in milk, then roll them in sugar. Let the leaves and berries dry on a cooling rack until they are slightly stiffened, 30-60 minutes or more.
Place the sugared leaves and berries decoratively on top of the Gingerbread Bundt Cake.
Notes
Almond paste and marzipan can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Almond paste contains more almonds (look for ones with more than 50% almonds) and less sugar, making it more suitable for baked recipes, where it retains its structure better. Marzipan is often a little finer and contains more sugar. It's better for use in molding into shapes (like fruits and animals) and rolling out for cake coverings or decorative elements (can be used like fondant). Either one works in this cake, but I usually choose almond paste since it's less sweet.