| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus extra for serving
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup small-diced crystallized ginger* (see Cook’s Note), plus extra for serving
- Make-Ahead Whipped Cream, for serving, recipe follows
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan, line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, the molasses, and the 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and mix until combined. (The batter may look curdled.)
- Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, scraping down the sides. Mix until smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in the 1/3 cup of crystallized ginger.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick just comes out clean. Don¿t overbake it! Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely. Spread the top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crystallized ginger and grated lemon zest.
- Place the cream, confectioners’ sugar, granulated sugar, creme fraiche, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed, until it forms soft peaks. Serve cold.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 548 |
| Total Fat | 30 g |
| Saturated Fat | 19 g |
| Carbohydrates | 64 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 46 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 137 mg |
| Sodium | 259 mg |
Reviews
Everyone around the table enjoyed this cake. Check the cake in the oven early as this cooked quicker than expected.
Amazing flavor! Lovely cake!!
Yum. Perfect flavors for the holidays. I followed directions and it was perfect.. With all the rich food this was a great after dinner dessert because it wasn’t to sweet. Next time I am making 2.
Has anyone tried making this in a Bundt pan? It seems like a better presentation and possibly solve the baking time situation.
This is an awesome cake! Very tasty and very easy to make. It’s not too sweet, so I’ve even served it as a coffee cake.
I needed a quick dessert for dinner at a friends house and this was a hit. I didn’t have creme fraiche but the whipped cream was wonderful without it. I put the whipped cream on top of each slide as I was serving it as I knew we wouldn’t eat the whole cake in one night and I didn’t want the cake to be mushy the next day. The chopped ginger in the cake and as a topping was delicious.
This was not my favorite Ina recipe. I found it to be dry. I baked it on the low end of the prescribed time and took it out of the pan after five minutes instead of the full twenty. I used orange peel instead of lemon because I prefer that flavor.
Simply put, I love this cake. It has all the goodness of my childhood memories of my grandmother making gingerbread and then some. I cannot allow myself to bake this unless I have a full complement of company, as I cannot resist it.
Ina, you’ve done it again! Everyone at my Thanksgiving table loved this dessert. This is a small, dense-like little gem that will only rise to about 1.5″ tall, but it is filled with great flavors! And once you whip up that delicious make-ahead whipped cream and spread on top–ooh la-la! I made the cake two days ahead, plastic wrapped tightly and refrigerated. I made the whipped cream before serving AND beat in one packet of Dr. Oetker’s ‘Whip It” powder into the whipped cream, a stabilizer that allowed the peaks to stand firm overnight in the fridge, and still stands after two nights. (Whole Foods) Highly recommend!
Made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! I made the cake ahead and froze it. I made sure to wrap it very well. I defrosted the cake the night before and made the whipped cream a few hours before serving. It was very yummy!! I will definitely make this often!