Fresh Ginger Cake
YIELD    12 servings
TIME     1 1/2 hours
My dear friend made her mother’s ginger cake and served it to us around her fire with a good deal of whipped cream. It was sublime. I ate seconds. I rarely have seconds of dessert. It’s not too sweet and boldly spiced with lots of fresh and dried ginger. It’s also incredibly simple, coming together without a mixer.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup Honoré Hourani flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbls freshly grated ginger, finely grated
1/4 cup crystalized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water
METHOD
- Butter an 8 x 8 glass pan or a 9 inch cast iron skillet. 
- Preheat oven to 350. 
- Combine flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, and dried spices in a bowl. 
- Add to the flour mixture fresh ginger grated on a microplane or using the smallest holes of a box grater. 
- Add finely chopped crystallized ginger to flour mixture, toss with your hands. 
- Melt and cool butter slightly. 
- In a separate bowl, using a spoon, mix egg, cooled butter, molasses, sugar and hot water. 
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. 
- Pour into prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes. 
- Serve warm with a great deal of whipped cream. 
 
                        