GINGERBREAD BUNDT CAKES
Yield:
2 (6-inch round) Bundt cakes
Ingredients
The Dry Ingredients:
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest of an orange
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
The Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup dark unsulphured molasses
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
- Juice of an orange plus enough water to equal ¾ cup liquid
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Garnish:
- Confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.
- Zest the orange then juice it.
- Cut the butter into cubes and reserve about 1 tablespoon to grease the pan.
- Place the molasses and the cubed butter in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the butter melts.
- Combine the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and orange juice liquid in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine. Slowly whisk in the melted butter and molasses mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients and whisk together until the batter is smooth.
- Grease the Bundt pans well with butter and then with some all-purpose flour. Remove the excess flour by tapping the pan and flipping it upside down so that the extra flour is released.
- Divide the batter equally in the pan.
- Bake in the center rack for 35-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake at the 35-minute mark. When the toothpick comes out clean the cake is ready.
- Cool the cakes in the pan 15-20 minutes.
- Carefully run a knife around the pan to release the cakes, flip it upside down over a baking pan and tap to release the cakes.
- Cool completely then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
- Serve alongside some homemade whipped cream, ice cream, or as is.
- Freezer instructions: Once baked and cooled this cake can be wrapped with plastic and then with foil and stored in the freezer up to 1 month. Let it come to room temperature before serving. It’s a wonderful gift!
- Flavor Combinations: Dried fruit tastes wonderful in this cake. Fold in your favorite nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, even some chopped crystallized ginger. Get creative and make it as festive as you desire.
- Toppings:My favorite way to serve this is simply with some confectioners’ sugar, but cream cheese icing or an orange glaze really pairs well with the warm spices. A maple syrup glaze is also fantastic.
- Orange Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 4 tablespoons orange juice
- Make the glaze by whisking the two ingredients together until smooth. Thicken it by adding more confectioners’ sugar or thin it out by adding a little more juice.
- For the cream cheese icing:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoon orange juice
- To make the cream cheese icing beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar a little at a time while beating on the lowest speed and add vanilla extract. Increase the speed and beat until light, smooth and fluffy. Whisk in some orange juice until the icing becomes a thinner more pourable consistency. Add some orange zest for more intense flavor.
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