Chocolate-Gingerbread Cake

or, It’s a two-fer

How do you feel about gingerbread? I used to think it was a cute, albeit dry, cookie that was “just ok”. A little boring.  Or that dry square cake mom sometimes made from a mix, for which the whipped cream was the highlight.  Ho hum.  But then, I found this recipe that added chocolate to the gingerbread, and buttermilk for moistness. Well, now, that could be interesting.

I made it for the first time last year and I’ve been waiting for a good day to make this recipe again. Let me tell you why.  Well, first of all, it is darn delicious!  Second, I won’t be eating the leftovers (which is a good thing), because, third, the leftovers go into an even more amazing holiday treat.  You will have to tune in in about 6 weeks when I make that one.  It’s not-to-miss, I swear!

But back to this cake.  Studded with chewy bits of crystallized ginger and bittersweet chocolate chips, and topped with sweet whipped cream, this moist cake is the perfect autumn and winter dessert. 

It is also easy to make.  Although it is helpful, you don’t need a stand mixer.  You can do it all by hand.  It also contains many of my favorite ingredients this time of year: molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, buttermilk. Not a single bad ingredient in the list!

Since we only had 4 for dinner, I have over half of the cake left, tucked safely away in the freezer. So stay tuned….

 

 

CHOCOLATE-GINGERBREAD CAKE

(Adapted from Lara Ferroni Photography)

  

Ingredients

1 1/3 c AP flour (about 200g)

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

3 T cocoa

1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

1 1/2 t ground ginger

1/4-1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg

6 T unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 c buttermilk

1/2 c molasses

3 T chopped crystallized ginger pieces

1 1/4 c chocolate chips (I prefer bittersweet)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter or spray a 9-inch round cake pan, then line with parchment paper. Spray or butter the parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, or a bowl with a whisk, cream the butter with the brown sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed in.

Combine the buttermilk and molasses, add to wet ingredients all at once. Mix thoroughly. It will look “curdy”, but rest assured, it is fine.

Our in the dry ingredients and mix until batter is smooth. (You can do this by hand) Add the chocolate chips and chopped ginger, continuing to mix just until they are evenly dispersed. 

Spread batter into pan. Bake until tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, and cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, approximately 40 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert pan, turn cake onto serving plate. Cool completely.  Top with whipped cream. Enjoy!