Fresh Ginger Cake

Published Nov. 10, 2021

Fresh Ginger Cake
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
5(1,976)
Comments
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David Lebovitz's headily spiced cake, which Amanda Hesser wrote about in The Times in 1999, calls for a quarter-pound of fresh ginger. Mr. Lebovitz, who was a pastry chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., has since had a long career as a cookbook author and blogger. But this recipe, from his cookbook “Room for Dessert,” is from relatively early in his writing career. Boldly flavored with just cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and, yes, a lot of fresh ginger, it is simplicity exemplified, coming together quickly and without a mixer. The cake — much like the recipe itself — ages well, its flavors melding and deepening over time. —Amanda Hesser

Featured in: BY THE BOOK; Simple and Sweet From a Master Baker

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Ingredients

Yield:10 servings
  • 1cup mild molasses
  • 1cup granulated sugar
  • 1cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2teaspoons baking soda
  • 4ounces fresh ginger, peeled, sliced and finely chopped
  • 2eggs, at room temperature
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

318 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 73 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 45 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 284 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Position rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides, or a 9-inch springform pan, with a circle of parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, mix together the molasses, sugar and oil. In separate medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.

  3. Step 3

    In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Stir in baking soda, then mix hot water into molasses mixture. Stir in ginger.

  4. Step 4

    Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into batter. Add eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of cake springs back lightly when pressed or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of cake browns too quickly before cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.

  5. Step 5

    Cool cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Invert cake onto a cooling rack, and remove parchment paper.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,976 user ratings
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Comments

An excellent tip with fresh ginger is to freeze it - either whole or cut in 1 inch pieces. Frozen it keeps forever, does not need to be peeled, and can be grated, chopped or microplaned much more easily - and the fibrous threads. disappear. Fully thawed after freezing, it can be easily pressed to give ginger juice.

I too arrived at this recipe as a result of self isolation, and it was the perfect use for the ginormous chunk of ginger my pandemic brain ordered. I even failed to add the pepper, and it is still delicious. Also this might seem like an easy tip for some, but use the same cup to measure your oil with first, and then the molasses - it will slide right out!

so, don't make it

I’ve made this flawless cake several times: it became much easier after following the advice I found here—put the ginger and sugar in the food processor together after peeling the ginger and cutting into chunks. Game changer!

Do it all in the food processor! Chop the ginger, add the sugar, then the wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients. Works splendidly and is much easier and quicker.

I made this cake for my partner’s birthday all of our ginger loving friends and it was a hit. Ended up doubling the recipe to stack the cake into 2 layers (be careful it’s literally very heavy), cut the sugar by 1/4 and added a lemon glaze as a frosting. Would 100% make this again with the same amount of sugar (cut by 1/4) and a bit more of the cinnamon, gloves and ginger. So delicious!

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Credits

Adapted from ''Room for Dessert'' by David Lebovitz (William Morrow Cookbooks, 1999)

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