Step 1

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Set aside.

Step 2

Crack the egg into another mixing bowl and set aside.

Step 3

In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, add the butter, honey, and sugar. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture starts simmering.

Step 4

Reduce the heat to low and add baking soda. Whisk to combine. The mixture will bubble and expand significantly but will then subside. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously to prevent the honey from burning, until the mixture turns a light amber color.

Step 5

Remove from the heat and slowly pour the honey mixture into the bowl with the egg, whisking vigorously. Then, add the flour mixture and mix until no dry ingredients are left. The dough should be sticky; avoid adding more flour! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until well chilled but not frozen, or leave it in the fridge overnight.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 180C (355F). Prepare a baking sheet and 3 pieces of parchment paper (one for each cake layer).

Step 7

Split the dough into 3 even parts. Take one piece and place it on floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough and your rolling pin with some flour and roll the dough so you can cut out a gingerbread man figure from it (the slab should be 2-3mm thick). Add more flour if needed while you rolling out the dough.

Step 8

Cut out the gingerbread figure (I made a stencil myself on an A4 piece of paper) and transfer the parchment paper with it onto a baking sheet. Take the leftover dough and distribute it among the pieces you will roll out next.

Step 9

Bake each cake layer for around 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for a minute on the baking sheet. Then, transfer it onto a cooling rack. Don’t stack baked cake layers on top of each other if they’re still warm.

Step 10

You will have a small piece of dough left after making 3 cake layers. I used it to cut out a small candy cane for the cake decoration.

Step 11

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a bowl), beat the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy and pale.

Step 12

Add the cream cheese and beat on medium until well incorporated. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl and beat for 10 more seconds. The cream should be homogeneous in consistency, smooth, and stable enough to pipe it.

Step 13

Place the cream in a piping bag fitted with a round piping nozzle. Reserve 3-5 tablespoons of the cream and place it in a separate piping bag without a piping nozzle. Cut off the tip so you can pipe thin lines with it.

Step 14

Spread one teaspoon of cream on the surface or plate you're using to assemble your cake.

Step 15

Place the first cake layer on top.

Step 16

Pipe dots of the cream around the edges of the cake. Then, use the same technique to fill the cake with cream inside those borders.

Step 17

Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the piping process.

Step 18

Place the third layer on top. Attach the candy cane (or any other decoration you made) to the body of your gingerbread man cake using the cream.

Step 19

Using the bag with reserved cream, pipe the eyes, mouth, or any other décor on top of your cake.

Step 20

Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours before serving.