I have never mixed a cake in a blender before. But I will do this one again! I’m not even sure how I came across this recipe….I was searching for something over the holidays, and came across a ginger spice cake recipe that had a few attractive features.
Oil based.
If you’ve never baked an oil based cake you might move on thinking it will be heavy and greasy.
You’d be wrong.
I have a few oil based cake recipes, including a bundt pan baked banana cake recipe that is based on oil instead of butter and it is to die for. I haven’t made it in years….but it never dries out. I also have an olive oil cake recipe that I’ve never actually made, but I keep meaning to. So when this one popped up and used canola oil instead of butter, well, that didn’t turn me off.
Secondly, I love spice cakes….so much flavour. Add a TON of fresh ginger to the mix, and I was intrigued.
And it did NOT disappoint!
If you’re looking for a cake that will do double duty as both a dessert and be equally happy on the table for breakfast/brunch….give this one a shot.
Ginger Spice Cake
Ingredients
- Baking spray
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger, preferably young ginger
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 cup unsulfured dark molasses
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (about 8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Pinch of black pepper
- Whipped cream, powdered sugar, pomegranate arils, and thinly sliced candied ginger, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper; lightly grease sides of pan with baking spray. Tightly wrap outer sides and bottom of pan in a double layer of aluminum foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Process 1 cup boiling water and ginger in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar, oil, molasses, baking soda, and salt; process until well combined, about 15 seconds Add eggs; process until just incorporated, about 15 seconds.
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper in a medium bowl; add to ginger mixture in blender. Process until just combined, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on rimmed baking sheet in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. (It’s OK if cake domes and cracks slightly.) Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove foil and pan sides; let cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Dollop whipped cream around edges of cake, and dust center with powdered sugar. Top whipped cream with pomegranate arils and candied ginger.
Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, December 2023 / January 2024 (https://www.foodandwine.com/spice-cake-8409234)