Stout beer adds richness to gingerbread Bundt cake
Bold, spicy gingerbread Bundt cake
In our opinion, gingerbread is worth eating only if its flavor is unmistakably bold and spicy. For our gingerbread bundt cake, the standard liquid combination of mild molasses and water seemed lackluster.
Robust molasses had more presence in our scaled-up cake, and we replaced the water with stout for a deeper flavor profile. The beer gave the cake a malty tang that tasters loved. Powdered ginger provided a spicy kick, and a little cinnamon and allspice contributed warm notes.
Blooming the spices in melted butter — a technique the test kitchen uses for savory spiced dishes — intensified their flavor, but tasters still wanted more ginger. A bit of grated fresh ginger added another layer of heat that the dried spice alone couldn’t muster. And another traditionally savory ingredient, black pepper, added a mild bite that further enhanced the ginger flavor.
We used the glaze as one final opportunity to turn up the heat by mixing a little ground ginger in with the confectioners’ sugar and adding a few tablespoons of ginger ale to thin the glaze to just the right consistency. Guinness is our preferred brand of stout for this cake.
Do not use blackstrap molasses in this recipe. An equal amount of orange or lemon juice can be substituted for the ginger ale in the glaze. Servings: Cake: teaspoons baking powder teaspoon salt teaspoons ground cinnamon teaspoon finely ground pepper cups (10 ounces) granulated sugar cup robust or full molasses Glaze: Start to finish: tablespoons ginger ale 1. For the cake:
3. Whisk eggs, sugar and fresh ginger together in large bowl until light and frothy. Stir in melted butter mixture, molasses and beer until incorporated. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk until no lumps remain.
4. Transfer batter 5. For the glaze: Whisk sugar, ginger ale and ginger together in bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and let set, about 15 minutes, before serving. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
Nutrition information per serving: