🌎 The World Cookbook

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla paste (use 2 tsp vanilla extract instead)
3/4 cup buttermilk ( use whole milk or half and half instead)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely crushed gingersnap crumbs, plus a few more for garnishing the cake
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp` ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Cream cheese frosting:
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted (sift after measuring)
2 Tbsp lemon juice, I used a Meyer lemon (you might need a little more or less juice)

Preheat the oven to 350F Butter and flour your bundt pan. Cream the butter and sugar together until nice and light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of a the bowl a couple of times to get everything incorporated. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending each one in before adding the next, and scraping down the sides of that bowl as necessary. Blend in the buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Whisk the dry ingredients together and then add slowly to the wet, with the mixer on low. Blend just until there is no more dry flour left. Turn the batter into the pan and smooth out the top. Bake for about 40 minutes on the middle rack, until the cake is risen and a toothpick comes out without wet batter on it. Don't over bake this cake. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then loosen the edges and turn out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting. To make the frosting beat the cream cheese and sugar, with one tablespoon of the lemon juice. Gradually add more lemon juice, a few drops at a time, until you get a thick spreadable glaze. Beat until smooth and lump free. Spoon over the cake and top with additional gingersnap crumbs, if you like.