Pumpkin Spice Latte Gingersnap Cake
It's time for pumpkin spice and everything nice! This coffee cup illusion cake is full of deliciously spiced gingersnap cookies and creamy pumpkin ganache (made with REAL pumpkin).
It’s finally here, dear reader. The best season of them all. (No, I won’t be hearing any arguments to the contrary. This is my blog, not yours.) And you know what that means? The invasion of pumpkin spice. It’s sneaking it’s way into your coffee. It’s taking over your grocery store. It might already be inside your house as we speak. Oh god, it’s too late. RUN!
Servings: 12 to 16 | Prep Time: 1 h 40 m | Cook Time: 8 m | Chill Time: 5 h 45 m
Hand-mixer / Stand-mixer
Heat-safe bowl
Double boiler
Large silicone dome mold (link)
Offset spatula
Rolling pin
Toothpick
Gingersnap Cookies:
6 tbsp butter, room temp
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
1 ⅛ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
⅛ tsp allspice
⅛ tsp black pepper
⅛ tsp salt
Pumpkin Spice Latte Filling:
6 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 tsp instant espresso powder
¼ cup pumpkin puree
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Orange food coloring
18 oz white chocolate baking chips (Guittard)
1 ⅛ cup butter
3 tbsp golden syrup (Lyle’s)
White Modeling Chocolate Mug:
6 oz white candy melts
2 tbsp light corn syrup, room temp
Cornstarch (for dusting)
Latte Foam Decoration:
3 oz white chocolate baking chips
1 oz heavy whipping cream
⅛ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Gingersnap Cookies (30 minutes + 8 minutes baking + 45 minutes chilling)
With a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and molasses until well combined.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and salt.
Add to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325° F.
Form the dough into 1" balls and transfer to a baking sheet, about 2” apart.
Flatten each dough ball with the bottom of a glass to about ¼” thickness. If the dough is sticking to the glass, place a piece of parchment paper between the bottom of the glass and the dough while flattening the cookies.
Bake for about 8 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cookies puff up and fall flat.
Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Filling (40 minutes + 4 hours chilling)
In a small heat-safe bowl, microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just starts to bubble, about 20 to 30 seconds.
Whisk in the espresso powder until fully combined.
Whisk in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and a few drops of orange food coloring, and set aside.
In the top of a double boiler, melt the white chocolate chips, butter, and golden syrup together. Don’t worry if the mixture looks split at this point.
Gradually whisk in the cream mixture until the filling is completely smooth.
Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
Reserve about 1 cup of the filling in a small heat-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until assembly.
Break the cooled gingersnap cookies into medium-sized pieces and transfer to a large glass bowl.
Pour the pumpkin spice latte filling over the cookies and gently mix until the cookie pieces are evenly coated. Be careful not to overmix.
Press the mixture into a large silicone dome mold, making sure to fill any gaps, and smooth out the top with an offset spatula.
Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
White Modeling Chocolate Mug (20 minutes + 1 hour chilling)
In a heat-safe bowl, microwave the white candy melts until fully melted.
Gradually mix the corn syrup into the candy melts, stirring until it thickens and becomes the consistency of soft serve. Do not overmix.
Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until firm, about an hour.
Once firm, dust a flat work surface liberally with corn starch, and use a rolling pin to flatten the white modeling chocolate into a circle about ¼” thick.
Take the cake out of the fridge and flip it over onto an upside down bowl. Carefully remove the silicone mold.
Smooth the sides of the cake with clean hands or an offset spatula.
Carefully drape the white modeling chocolate circle over the cake and trim off any excess, making sure to leave a little chocolate hanging past the edge of the cake.
Set the excess modeling chocolate aside.
Smooth the modeling chocolate onto the cake with your hands. Set aside to firm up while you make the handle.
On the cornstarch-dusted work surface, roll the excess modeling chocolate with your hands to form a cylinder.
Shape the cylinder into a mug handle by cutting it to the appropriate length for your mug and pressing one end onto the rounded bottom of your cake. Smooth the edges with your hands.
Carefully flip the cake over onto a white serving plate.
With scissors, trim the top edge of the modeling chocolate mug so the lip is level. Smooth the edge with your fingers so it’s nice and rounded.
Take the unattached end of the mug handle and curve it, pressing the end onto the top edge of the cake.
Smooth the edges with your fingers so it is flush with the top of the mug.
Set the cake aside.
Latte Foam Decoration (10 minutes)
In a small heat-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate and heavy cream.
Heat in the microwave until the cream just starts to simmer, about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and set aside.
Take the reserved pumpkin spice latte filling and heat it in the microwave until liquid, about 30 seconds.
Pour it on top of the cake, carefully spreading it all the way to the inside edge of the white mug with an offset spatula.
Drizzle the white ganache on top of the pumpkin filling in the center, swirling in circles outward, to create the look of latte foam.
Using a toothpick, drag the ganache in lines to create a pattern like latte art.
Sprinkle on the pumpkin pie spice.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve. Leftovers may be stored, covered, in the fridge, up to a week.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade