Fresh Ginger and Buttermilk cake

[Ling]

Fresh Ginger and Buttermilk cake

Serves 8 as Dessert.

**As with all gingerbreads, this cake tastes better when it's been allowed to mature overnight (or at least 12 hours.)**

This delicious ginger cake is based on a recipe by Chef Karen Barnaby from Vancouver. I found the recipe in her cookbook, The Passionate Cook. My version includes a few extra spices, and a little less molasses than the original recipe. I also increased the amounts of both the crystallized ginger and the fresh ginger. The cake would be fabulous layered with a chocolate cinnamon mousse and covered in a light, chocolate whipped cream! I haven't made this cake into a torte yet, but I will very soon. The intense flavours of the cake would probably be best with lighter fillings, like a milk chocolate mousse, rather than heavier fillings, like a dark Valrhona ganache*.

*This is probably the only time in my life that I will say this...haha!

• 3/4 c unsalted butter
  
• 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 14 T fancy (or mild) molasses
  
• 2 T light corn syrup
  
• 4 T finely grated fresh ginger
  
• 4 T chopped crystallized ginger
  
• 1 c AP flour
  
• 1 c whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
  
• 1 tsp ground ginger
  
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  
• 1/4 tsp ground five spice powder
  
• 1 c buttermilk or yogurt
  

(Karen bakes her cake in a greased and floured 10" springform pan, but I prefer to use two 9" greased non-stick pans. The choice is up to you!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time, and then add the molasses, and both the fresh and crystallized ginger. In a separate bowl, blend the flours, baking soda, salt, and dried ginger and spices, and add to the butter/sugar alternating with the buttermilk.

Bake on the center rack for about 50 minutes if using the 10" springform pan. The two 9" cakes will be ready in about 30 minutes.

Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake

( RG1582 )