Give the Gift of Gingerbread - Blog Hop & Giveaway!

Today I am part of a fun blog hop and giveaway!
You can see 20 gingerbread themed recipes and all the fabulous prizes below.

 My recipe is this Chocolate Gingerbread Cake. 

I decided to put a tasty twist on classic gingerbread by mixing it with chocolate.

The two flavors together are a fantastic combination!

Top it with cream cheese frosting and decorate it with chocolate gingerbread men,
and you have one fantastic Christmas cake!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

by Bird On A Cake

6038745

Ingredients

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. package cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with wax paper; grease the sides of the pans. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. Mix in the oil and molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. In another bowl, mix the boiling water with the cocoa powder. Alternate adding the dry mixture and wet mixture to the batter until well combined. Pour your batter in the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Spread over cooled cake.

Powered by Recipage

  To make the gingerbread men, I used a silicon mold and melted chocolate.
First, I filled in the eyes, mouth and buttons with white chocolate.

 Then, I filled in the whole cavity with chocolate.

 After these little guys set up, gently push on the other side of the mold until they pop out.
Then press them into the frosting around your cake.
 

 Give the Gift of Gingerbread
Blog Hop and Giveaway

Use the links below to hop from blog to blog
to see these wonderful gingerbread themed recipes:

1. No Gingerbread Boy and Girl Cookie Pops by Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons

2. Caramel Cocoa Egg Nog Custard Gingerbread Men by Hungry Happenings

3. Gingerbread Angel Ornament by Haniela's

4. Gingerbread Men Bubble Bath by Creative Kids Snacks

5. Peeps Gingerbread Men Cookie Pops by Pint Sized Baker

6. Gingerbread Decorating Ideas by Living Locurto

7. Peanuts Gang Gingerbread Men by Sugar Swings

8. Gingerbread House Cookie Bites by The Decorated Cookie

9. Gingerbread Cookie Christmas Trees by Munchkin' Munchies

10. Gingerbread Men Cookies by The Barefoot Baker

11. Gingerbread Sleigh Ride by the Partiologist

12. Mini Fudge Gingerbread Houses by Hoopla Palooza

13. Chocolate Gingerbread Cake by Bird on a Cake

14. Simple Gingerbread Christmas Trees by Sweet Sugar Belle

15. Gingerbread Cookie Cups by Creative Juice

16. Gingerbread Puppy Chow by Make Bake Celebrate

17. No Bake Gingerbread Heads by Party Pinching

18. Snowboarding Gingerbread Peeps by Sweet Simple Stuff

19. Gingerbread S'More Houses with Boozy Eggnog Marshmallow Filling by 1 Fine Cookie

20.Sugar Plum Gingerbread House by Miss CandiQUIK

Thanks to our amazing sponsors, you have a chance to win all of these prizes:

Shabby Apple - Choice of a Dress (from a list) $100 value

Wilton - Gingerbread Decorating Prize Pack $50 value

Cheap Cookie Cutters - $50 Gift Card

Sweet Works - Candy Prize Pack $25 value

Easy Lunchboxes - lunch box set $25 value

Karen's Cookies - $20 gift card

Sweet Simple Stuff - Cake Pop Prize Pack $20 value

CandiQUIK - CandiQUIK Prize Pack $25 value

The Give the Gift of Gingerbread Giveaway will run from December 11 through December 17, 2013. Entrants must be US residents, 18 years or older Void where prohibited by law. 

Enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below. 

One winner will be chosen to win the entire prize pack and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing information. If the winner does not respond in 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway