Gingerbread Cake Cooks Illustrated Food

GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly butter a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, molasses, and crystallized ginger. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
• In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Whisk the molasses mixture into the flour mixture until evenly combined.
• In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Whisk the hot water into the batter until just combined. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake in the center of the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375. Grease and flour 12 cup nonstick Bundt pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Melt butter in pan over medium heat til bubbly. Stir in ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and let cool just slightly. Whisk eggs, sugar and fresh ginger in large bowl til light and frothy. Stir in melted butter mixture, molasses and beer til incorporated. Whisk flour mixture into egg mixture til no lumps remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake til skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet. Let cool completely. For glaze, whisk all ingredients in bowl til smooth. Pour glaze over cooled cake. Let glaze set 15 minutes. Serve. Cook's Illustrated

GINGERBREAD MEN

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl; set aside. Melt the butter and shortening in a medium saucepan; remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and molasses. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
• Add the egg to the butter mixture; beat with a mixer on medium speed until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in two additions until just combined. Divide the dough in half; wrap each half in plastic wrap and pat into 1/2-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as needed. Cut out gingerbread men with a 3 1/2- to 5-inch cookie cutter and arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush off the excess flour and refrigerate the cutouts 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Decorate with royal icing and let harden at room temperature, about 1 hour.

GINGERBREAD CAKE - COOK'S ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour an 8x8" square baking pan.
• Bring stout to a boil in a large saucepan. Off heat, stir in baking soda; it will foam up. When foam subsides, add molasses and both sugars; stir until dissolved.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pepper.
• Whisk eggs, oil and grated ginger into stout mixture.
• Whisk wet mixture into flour mixture in thirds, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Pour batter into pan and bake 35-45 min, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 1 1/2 hours. Cut into squares.

FAVORITE OLD FASHIONED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.