Gingerbread Cake With Cognac Glaze Recipe
TT Test Kitchen Tip: Add visual drama to this grown-up gingerbread cake with French dragées. (Use dragées as decoration only.)
Gingerbread Cake With Cognac Glaze
Gingerbread Cake with Cognac Glaze from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Prep Time
0
minutes
Cook Time
1
hour
Servings
0
servings
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- Cake
- ¾ cup unsulfured molasses
- ½ cup freshly brewed coffee
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
- ⅓ cup grapeseed oil
- Cognac Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons cognac
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray the bottom and sides of a pudding pan or Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a medium saucepot, bring the molasses, coffee and water to a boil. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the baking soda. Set aside to cool slightly, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, fresh ginger, lemon zest and grapeseed oil. Gradually whisk in the reserved molasses mixture and flour mixture a third at a time, alternating until the mixture is just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place the cake on a cooling rack and let cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Carefully turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Make the cognac glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, cognac, water, vanilla-bean seeds and a pinch of salt until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and serve.