Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Grease and line three standard 20cm round cake tins with baking paper. 

To make your cake, in a large bowl using an electric hand or stand mixer (with the paddle attachment), beat the butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar for 3 minutes until pale and becoming fluffy. Add the golden syrup and molasses and beat until smooth, followed by the vanilla and eggs, adding the eggs in two parts, beating after each addition until well-combined. Add the oil, orange zest and juice, and beat for an additional minute until smooth. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, spices, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet, folding together until smooth and just combined. Carefully pour in the boiling water and whisk into the batter until smooth, then fold in the chopped crystallised ginger. Pour the batter into the lined cake tins and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tins and placing on a wire rack to cool fully. 

For the caramel, place the caster sugar and water in a deep medium-large saucepan. Over medium-low heat, melt the sugar into the water until fully dissolved, then increase the heat to medium-high. Do NOT stir beyond this point. Bring to the boil and cook until a deep amber colour is reached (you can use a small pastry brush dipped in water to brush down any sugar that gets stuck to the side of the pot). Remove from the heat and while stirring, carefully pour in the cream (stand back as it will bubble like a cauldron). Return over a low heat and whisk until smooth. Add the chopped butter, vinegar, spices, and sea salt, again whisking until smooth. Remove from the heat and using an electric hand mixer, beat the caramel on high for 3 minutes to allow the butter to emulsify and create an incredibly smooth caramel. Pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature (or refrigerate to speed up the process).

For the buttercream, place the egg whites and caster sugar in a clean large stand mixer bowl. Set over a saucepan half-filled with boiling water, ensuring the water is not touching the base of the bowl (double-boiler). Keep the water heat so that it is simmering and gently heat the egg whites and sugar, whisking by hand occasionally, until the egg whites are very warm and the sugar has dissolved (test this by dipping your thumb and forefinger into the egg white and rubbing them together – you shouldn’t feel any grains of sugar). Transfer the bowl back to the stand mixer and whisk on high speed until the meringue is stiff and the mixing bowl has cooled to room temperature (approx. 5-7 minutes). While continuing to mix on high, gradually add the butter, one cube at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. Continue mixing until all the butter has been added and you are left with a silky-smooth buttercream (the mixture will curdle partway through the mixing process – just keep adding the butter and it will become smooth). Add the cooled salted caramel to the buttercream and mix on medium speed until smooth.

To assemble the cake, first level the cakes if desired by cutting any slight domes off the tops. Place one cake on a cake board or stand and spread an even layer of buttercream over the top of the cake. Using a large round nozzle and piping bag, pipe a ring of buttercream around the top edge of the cake (this will create a ‘dam’ to stop your salted caramel filling from oozing out). Spoon a generous amount of caramel in the centre and spread out with the back of a spoon to cover the buttercream inside the ‘dam’. Sprinkle some gingerbread crumbs over the caramel (optional). Place the second cake on top, pressing lightly to stick to the buttercream ‘dam’, and then cover the outside of the cake with buttercream, using a palette knife,  to stabilise the layers together. Then repeat as you had between the first two cake layers, spreading a layer of buttercream on top, piping a ‘dam’ of buttercream, then filling with more of the salted caramel and gingerbread crumbs. Place the third-and-final cake on top and cover the sides and top with a layer of buttercream. You should now have a three-layer cake covered in a ‘crumb coat’ of buttercream. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

To finish the cake, once chilled, evenly coat the cake in a second layer of buttercream, using a palette knife and cake scraper to achieve a smooth and even finish. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour (but preferably longer) to allow the buttercream to set. Remove from the fridge and create a ‘drip’ decoration with the remaining caramel, using a teaspoon to push drips of varying sizes down the cold cake (if the caramel is too thick to create drips, warm a little in the microwave then mix through until the right consistency is reached), and then covering the top of the cake with pools of caramel (as pictured). Decorate the top of the cake with gingerbread biscuit crumbs, gingerbread biscuits and gold dust.