This lovely, easy cake is made with fresh, rather than dried, ginger. Good gingerbread belongs in every cook’s repertoire. Easy to mix up by hand, gingerbread plays perfectly well alone (with a little powdered sugar sieved over the top for visual interest) but loves a party.
Fresh Ginger Gingerbread
Serves 8
Ingredients:
A piece of fresh ginger at least 3 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 3 ounces)
2/3 cup (4.625 ounces) lightly packed light brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup light unsulphured molasses
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1 large egg
1/2 cup hot water
1 2/3 cups (7.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Powdered sugar for dusting and/or lightly sweetened whipped cream or crème fraiche, sour cream or mascarpone.
Equipment:
8-inch square baking pan
Directions:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of the baking pan with parchment paper.
Peel the ginger with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Cut the ginger crosswise into enough 1/4-inch slices to measure 1/2 cup (or weigh 2 ounces). Add the ginger to the food processor and pulse until finely minced.
Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, salt, molasses, butter, egg, water, flour, and baking soda to the processor. Process for 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl and process for 5 more seconds.
Excerpted from Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts by Alice Medrich (Artisan Books). Copyright 2012. Photographs by Sang An.