Irish Stout Ginger Cake

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake
from The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern
by Claudia Fleming

1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup molasses
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon grated, peeled fresh gingerroot

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9- X 5-inch loaf pan, line the bottom and sides with parchment, and grease the parchment. Alternatively, butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt pan.

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the stout and molasses and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the baking soda. Allow to sit until the foam dissipates.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs and both sugars. Whisk in the oil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.

Combine the stout mixture with the egg mixture, then whisk this liquid into the flour mixture, half at a time. Add the fresh ginger and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the top springs back when gently pressed. Do not open the oven until the gingerbread is almost done, or the center may fall slightly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Notes: Made this weekend in honor of St. Patrick. I didn't have Guinness. I had Murphy's. The beer and molasses mixture looks truly frightening when the baking soda is added to it. It looks like there are quite a few steps in this recipe, but it's really fairly straightforward. And in the end, this comes out spicy and moist and very, very, very worth it. Gramercy Tavern has been on my list of places to someday eat in NYC for quite a while. This dessert has only convinced me that I don't want to pass it up.

Posted by Jennifer at March 19, 2007 8:09 PM | TrackBack