Thursday, January 01, 2009

RECIPE ~ Fresh Ginger Cake


I like to make a tea cake for my in-laws when we go over for a Sunday lunch, and this time I made Fresh Ginger Cake (recipe printed in the Toronto Star, originally from Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax). The perfect treat after a meal since ginger is a great digestive.

2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp each: ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup each: molasses, sugar, unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup peanut or sunflower oil
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup peeled fresh ginger, minced*


In large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves and pepper (if you like extra ginger action, add 1/2 to 1 tsp ground ginger at this point). In another large bowl, mix molasses, sugar, eggs and oil with electric mixer at medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix at low speed just until blended. In small cup, stir baking soda into water; quickly add to batter along with minced ginger. Mix just until blended.

Pour batter into buttered and floured 9-1/2-inch springform pan, smoothing top. Bake in preheated 350F oven until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean, about 1 hour. If top browns too quickly during baking, loosely cover with foil.

Cool 30 minutes on wire rack. Run knife around edge, then remove sides of pan. Makes 10 to 12 servings. Decorate with powdered icing sugar or a tangy lemon icing (courtesy of Anne S. from the Recipe Club!):

ANNE'S LEMON DRIZZLE
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
lemon zest


Combine icing sugar and lemon juice until a smooth paste is formed. Stir in zest (pictured here using both lemon and lime zest) and drizzle over cake.

*NOTE: It's important to mince the ginger, since grating it produces undesirable fibres.

FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
This cake contains almost exclusively Vata-friendly ingredients and is not recommended for Pittas or Kaphas. However, to make Pitta-friendly, reduce ginger to 2 Tbsp; and for Kaphas, use millet flour, replace molasses and sugar with date puree or fruit juice concentrate, and reduce oil to 1/4 cup while increasing applesauce to 1 cup.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sounds so refreshing. I can't wait to give it a try. Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful, whole, healthy dessert recipes. You are making my mouth water.

BODA weight loss

Unknown said...

My only complaint about this recipe is that it's too good! I was forced to make a second one because my roommates ate most of the first the day before the party I was going to bring this too.

Excellent recipe, not too sweet, moist and wonderful!

Didn't even try the sugar frosting yet, the cake is good enough on it's own.

Yoyo's Ma said...

That's so great, thanks! Glad everyone is loving this cake. I love how dark and moist it is, with the sweetness balancing the sharpness of the ginger. Yum.

Dazy said...

Oh this sounds awesome. I'm a big fan of ginger.And, speaking as a single woman, I think men who can cook are the best!

Benefits of ginger said...

perfect recipe. Very nice. I like it
Thanks for share

Anonymous said...

nice moist tasty cake, I used agave syrup instead of sugar, and mostly wholewheat / attar flour, as prefer to avoid too much white flour. No icing was required.

Anonymous said...

I forgot to say that my cake cooked in about 35 minutes, so best to check cake around this time; in case it burns.