Gingerbread:

• 1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1/2 cup very strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled to just warm
• 11 3/4 oz (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour; more for the pan
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 10 oz (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature; more for the pan
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Espresso Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp dark rum
• 1 1/2 tbsp brewed espresso (or 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp hot water)

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350F. Butter and flour a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan (or four 2-cup mini loaf pans). Tap out any excess flour. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the molasses with the brewed coffee. Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, baking soda, espresso powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
2. With a stand mixer (use the paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, cream the butter in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour and coffee mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Stop the mixer at least one last time to scrape the bowl and then beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 20 seconds.
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan (or pans), spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Run a knife through the batter to eliminate any air pockets.
4. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted int he center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (about 30 minutes for mini loaves). Set the pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the pan, and let cool until just barely warm. Drizzle with the glaze (if using) and then let cool to room temperature before serving. If you're making the cake ahead, wrap it while still barely warm without the glaze. If you plan to freeze the cake, don't glaze it until you're ready to serve it or give it away.
5. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and rum in a bowl and, adding the espresso gradually, whisk until smooth. If necessary, add more espresso or water to thin the glaze to a drizzling consistency. When the cake is still barely warm, use a fork or spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top.

Cake:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1.5 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• finely grated zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 recipes lemon curd (3/4 cup reserved for piping)

Lemon Curd:

• 8 large egg yolks
• finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
• 3/4 cup lemon curd

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two 9x2" round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, combine sour cream with lemon zest and juice; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
3. With the mixer on lowest speed, add the flour mixture in four parts, alternating with the sour cream mixture and beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
4. Divide batter between prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden and pull away from sides of pan, and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Run a knife or thin metal spatula around the edges of the pans. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of the cakes to make level. Slice each layer in half horizontally into two layers. Place one of the bottom layers on a cake plate, and spread 1/2 cup lemon curd over the top. Repeat with remaining cake layers and curd, leaving final cake layer uncoated. Spread a thin layer of lemon Swiss meringue buttercream over the entire cake to seal in crumbs; refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.
6. Using an offset spatula, spread entire cake with remaining buttercream. Refrigerate 30 minutes before decorating with lemon curd: Using a paper cornet filled with curd, pipe dots of varying sizes on top of the cake. Starting at the bottom, pipe vertical lines of varying lengths up the side of the cake. Cake can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with a cake dome, for up to 3 days.

Lemon Curd Directions:

1. Combine yolks, lemon zest, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, and registers 160F on an instant-read thermometer.
2. Remove saucepan from heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Directions:

1. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Stir in 3/4 cup lemon curd with a rubber spatula.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream*
• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions:

1. Cake prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a bundt pan. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.
3. Ganache: For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of cooled cake.

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup hot coffee

Ganache:

• 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 60% dark bittersweet)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with rounds of parchment paper. Spray the pans and the parchment paper with vegetable cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and vanilla. In another small bowl, melt the butter in the hot coffee.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat half of the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. Beat in half of the coffee mixture, then scrape down the bowl. Beat in the remaining buttermilk and coffee mixtures.
4. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are springy to the touch. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
5. Put the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil.
   Immediately pour over the chocolate and let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes. Gently whisk the ganache until smooth. Whisk in the butter until incorporated.
6. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until the ganache is thick enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
7. Set a cake layer on a cake plate or cake cardboard. Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting onto the cake in an even 1/4-inch layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and frosting. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Let the cake stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Ingredients:

• 4 8oz packages of cream cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 oz melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 tsp rum flavoring
• 1 cup of flaked coconut
• 1 can crushed pineapple

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended and fluffy.
2. Pour into a deep pan and bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes (or until browned on top).