Ingredients
Gingerbread:
- 750g butter, unsalted
- 400g sugar, brown
- 450g cane syrup
- 1.2kg cake flour
- 4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 8 tsp ginger, ground
Royal icing:
- 3 egg whites
- 500g icing sugar
Caramel:
- 175g sugar, white
- 5 tbsp water
Preparation method
Gingerbread:
- Pre-heat oven to 200 C
- Lay out 2m strip of baking paper on a work surface
- Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pot
- Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger in a large mixing bowl
- Add the butter mixture and stir until well combined
- Roll out the dough on the baking paper, to about 4mm thickness
- Work quickly, as the dough becomes very stiff as it cools
- Cut out the desired shapes using a pizza wheel, non-serrated knife and/or cutters
- Cut baking paper sheets just larger than each piece
- Grease a large baking tray
- Place the floor circle and one floor skirt section piece on their baking paper pieces
- Arrange on the baking tray
- Place the side section of a closed 20cm springform cake tin in the oven
- Bake until floor piece is slightly darkened around the edges, about 12 minutes
- Remove the spring form cake tin and stand it on its side on a work surface
- Remove the baking tray from the oven
- Immediately pick up the floor skirt section and lay over the hot spring form tin
- Bend the gingerbread to match the curve of the tin and allow to cool
- Transfer the floor circle to a perfectly flat surface
- Repeat the baking process/curving process with the remaining skirt pieces
- Bake remaining flat pieces
Royal icing:
- Whisk together the egg whites and sifted icing sugar, until well combined
- Place in a piping bag cut with a 4mm tip
Caramel:
- Place white sugar and water into a pot and heat until sugar is dissolved
- Boil the sugar and water until it goes a light straw colour.
- Remove from heat
Assembly:
- Invert two column pieces and lay them side-by-side on the 120 degree trough jig
- Pour hot caramel along the seam
- Cover with baking paper and stack another inverted pair, using hot caramel to join
- Repeat with the remaining two pieces and cover with baking paper
- Assemble the hexagonal roof support using the jig, as for the column
- Allow to harden
- Invert the floor section
- Place the floor skirt sections on either side or pipe royal icing along the seams
- Attach the floor reinforcement sections to the floor, using royal icing
- The template indicates where floor reinforcement sections should be attached
- Allow to harden and then invert again
- Stand the column pieces on the floor piece
- Join together and join to the floor, using piped royal icing
- Invert the floor/columns assembly, place onto the centre of the inverted ceiling
- Pipe royal icing where the top of the central column meets the ceiling piece
- Allow to harden and turn the right way up
- Attach the large horses to the pole pieces with royal icing
- Allow to harden and decorate
- Stand each pole between the floor and ceiling sections
- Pipe royal icing on both ends to attach the poles to the floor and ceiling
- Assemble the hexagonal roof support and attach to the ceiling piece
- Using royal icing for this, in a similar manner to the central column
- Allow to harden
- Lay the roof sections onto the ceiling circle and the support
- Pipe along the base and sides of each roof triangle and assemble
- Pipe royal icing on the bottom of the flagpole
- Insert flag into the hole at the top of the roof
- Pipe along the outsides of seams to neaten appearance
- Invert the floor/columns assembly, place onto the centre of the inverted ceiling
- Pipe royal icing where the top of the central column meets the ceiling piece
- Allow to harden and turn the right way up
Decoration
- Add the egg whites to sifted icing sugar in a large bowl
- Whisk until well combined
- Place half the mixture into a bowl
- Divide the remaining mixture across five small bowls
- Into each small bowl, add a few drops of food colouring (one colour for each bowl)
- Stir well to incorporate colouring. Cover with cling film
- Transfer uncoloured icing into a piping bag with a narrow round nozzle (3mm)
- Pipe to add decoration. Place silver balls to add detail
- Repeat the process with each colour
- Add rosettes with a 5mm rosette nozzle to add detail
- Allow icing to harden before serving
- Decorate with sweets