A soft, gingerbread spiced cake with pieces of candied ginger and toasted walnuts distributed throughout, these cakes can be topped with a sticky toffee buttercream or just slathered in the sticky toffee sauce prior to serving. Sweet and spicy, these mini cakes are sure to warm up any fall or winter day.
Yields: 12-13 mini loaf cakes
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease/spray a mini loaf pan and set aside.
Sift the self-rising flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the lemon zest, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Using the paddle attachment. Mix the dry ingredients on low until blended.
Add the vegetable oil and mix until the dry ingredients are fully coated. Add the molasses and mix until fully combined.
Add the dark brown sugar and beat on medium-high until combined.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the four eggs and vanilla extract. Add a little of the eggs and a little of the sour cream to the mixing bowl. Beat until combined. Continue to add the eggs and sour cream a little at a time until the batter is completely combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add in the pieces of crystallized ginger and the chopped walnuts; mix on low until evenly distributed.
Fill each cavity of the mini loaf pan about 2/3 of the way full–I usually use 2 large ice cream scoops or a 2 large spoonfuls. Once filled, gently tap the baking pan on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
Bake on the center rack for 19-21 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan about 3-5 minutes and then gently tip the cakes out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, top cakes with Sticky Toffee Buttercream (recipe below) or with a coating of Sticky Toffee Sauce. If desired, sprinkle with a bit of flaked sea salt.
Sticky Toffee Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. This should only take about 5-7 minutes or so. Allow to bubble for an additional minute or two, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the sauce to a clean bowl and allow to cool and thicken.
Sticky Toffee Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter until light. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Mix on low at first and increase the speed once the sugar is combined. After the second cup of sugar, add in the vanilla extract, sticky toffee sauce, pinch of salt, and lemon zest. Mix on high to combined. Add in the final cup of powdered sugar and any milk as needed. Beat on high for 1-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.