German Lebkuchen Cake With White Chocolate Frosting

Recipe Ingredients

		Honey Syrup
2		Oranges - (to 3) (large)
1/2 cup	118ml	Honey
2/3 cup	157ml	Orange juice
		Cake
3/4 cup	148g / 5.2oz	Unsalted butter - (1 1/2 sticks) - room temperature
3/4 cup	120g / 4.2oz	Golden brown sugar - (firmly packed)
1 tablespoon	15ml	Vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons	6.3ml	Ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon	3.8ml	Ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon	3.8ml	Ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon	3.8ml	Ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Salt
2 teaspoons	10ml	Eggs - room temperature (large)
1 3/4 cups	109g / 3.8oz	All-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons	7.5ml	Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon	3.8ml	Baking powder
2/3 cup	157ml	Half-and-half
1 tablespoon	15ml	Lemon juice
2/3 cup	41g / 1.4oz	Dried currants
		Frosting
12 oz	340g	Imported white chocolate - chopped
		= (such as Lindt)
1 cup	198g / 7oz	Unsalted butter - (2 sticks) - room temperature
12 oz	340g	Cream cheese - room temperature
3 cups	279g / 9.8oz	Toasted sliced almonds
		Orange slices or orange peel ribbon

Recipe Instructions

For Syrup: Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from oranges in strips. Mince enough peel to measure 4 tablespoons. Mix honey, orange juice and 2 tablespoons orange peel (reserve remaining 2 tablespoons peel for cake) in heavy medium saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Set honey syrup aside.

For Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9-inch square baking pan with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom with waxed paper. Butter paper. Dust pan with flour.

Using electric mixer, beat first 8 ingredients in large bowl until fluffy. Mix in reserved 2 tablespoons minced orange peel. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder into medium bowl. Mix half-and-half and lemon juice in small bowl. Beat dry ingredients alternately with half-and-half mixture into butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix in currants.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. (Cake will not rise to top of pan.) Cool cake 20 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cake out onto rack; cool. Peel off paper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover syrup and cake separately and let stand at room temperature.)

For Frosting: Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Cool to barely luke warm. Using electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until light. Add chocolate and 1/4 cup honey syrup and beat until smooth and light. Chill until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Cut cake horizontally in half. Place bottom layer cut-side up on platter. Brush with 1/4 cup honey syrup. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting over. Brush remaining 1/4 cup syrup over cut side of top cake layer. Place cake cut-side down atop filled layer. Set aside 2/3 cup frosting for garnish. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Press almonds around sides. Spoon remaining 2/3 cup frosting into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe frosting decoratively around top edge of cake.

Chill cake until frosting sets, about 1 hour. Garnish with orange slices. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.)

This recipe yields 12 servings.

Source:
Bon Appetit, December 1991

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