
Gingerbread Layer Cake. (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test
Kitchen via AP)
From The Asian Reporter, V28, #24 (December 17, 2018), page 9.
How to transform homey gingerbread into a stately layer
cake
By America’s Test Kitchen
Good gingerbread is dark and moist, with an intriguing hint of bitterness
and a peppery finish. Usually it’s a rustic square cake or maybe even an
attractive Bundt, but it’s never quite sophisticated enough to serve as the
centerpiece holiday dessert.
We wanted to transform homey gingerbread into a stately layer cake. The
problem? Traditional recipes are too moist to be stacked four layers high.
We knew we could fix the excess moisture problem by cutting back on the
molasses or coffee in our recipe or adding a bit more flour. But both
strategies would lighten the color and dull the flavor.
Instead, we added a conventional cake ingredient that’s unconventional in
gingerbread: cocoa powder. Cocoa contains a high proportion of absorbent
starch; just 1/4 cup of it soaked up the cake’s excess moisture, so the
crumb was no longer objectionably sticky. The cocoa also deepened the color
and flavor of our gingerbread without making the cake taste chocolaty. As a
bonus, it diluted some of the gluten, making the cake’s crumb more tender.
Sprinkling chopped crystallized ginger over the top of the cake completed
the holiday gingerbread revamp. Use a two-cup liquid measuring cup to
portion the cake batter. Do not use blackstrap molasses here as it is too
bitter.
America’s Test Kitchen provided this article to The Associated Press.
More recipes, cooking tips, and ingredient and product reviews are available
at <www.americastestkitchen.com>.
* * *
Gingerbread Layer Cake
Servings: 12-16
Start to finish: 3 hour, 30 minutes
1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (3/4 ounce) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup brewed coffee
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
5 cups frosting
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans and line pans with parchment paper.
Whisk flour, cocoa, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, pepper,
and cayenne together in a large bowl. Whisk coffee, molasses, and baking
soda in second large bowl until combined. Add sugar, oil, eggs, and fresh
ginger to coffee mixture and whisk until smooth.
Whisk coffee mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Pour 1 1/3 cups
batter into each prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes
out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10
minutes. Remove cakes from pan, discarding parchment, and let cool
completely on rack, about two hours. Wipe pans clean with paper towels. Let
pans cool completely, regrease and reflour pans, and line with fresh
parchment. Repeat process with remaining batter.
Line edges of cake platter with four strips of parchment to keep platter
clean. Place one cake layer on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting evenly over
top, right to edge of cake. Repeat with two more cake layers, pressing
lightly to adhere and spreading 3/4 cup frosting evenly over each layer. Top
with remaining cake layer and spread remaining frosting evenly over top and
sides of cake. Garnish top of cake with crystallized ginger, if using.
Refrigerate until frosting is set, about 30 minutes, before serving. (Cake
can be refrigerated for up to two days; bring to room temperature before
serving.)
Nutrition information per serving: 590 calories (201 calories from fat);
23 g fat (3 g saturated, 5 g trans fats); 38 mg cholesterol; 365 mg sodium;
94 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 75 g sugar; 3 g protein.
* * *
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