David Lebovitz’s Fresh Ginger Cake

Molasses, yet another long derided, overlooked and misunderstood ingredient in my kitchen. It reminded me of Little House on the Prairie, wholesome for humans and horses both. In other words, not my kind of comestible. Growing up we always had a jar of blackstrap molasses hanging around. It was an essential ingredient in PMum’s revolting morning porridge concoction, otherwise known as her freak-fest. Without going into too much detail, you can imagine my disdain for molasses when my introduction to it also involved wheatgerm, lecithin, yeast, gelatine, coconut oil and cod liver oil, all mushed together into long cooked squidgy oats first thing in the morning. PMum was obviously eating for health, and didn’t foist her breakfast on us, but nevertheless it turned me off porridge and molasses, and horses, for years.

Plus during my research for this here little piece of internet heaven I learned about the Boston Molasses Disaster. In Boston one unusually warm morning in 1919 a tank of molasses burst, the ensuing high speed flood of gloopy sweetener killed 21 people. Drowned by molasses. Utterly terrifying.

While I was yet to be converted to a molasses lover, I am a die-hard ginger fan. I used to work in a juice bar where I’d mix up a killer ginger and orange juice tonic, almost too spicy to drink, whenever I felt slightly under the weather. My favourite cold weather dessert here in Hanoi is glutinous rice dumplings stuffed with black sesame and coconut swimming in a sweet, hot ginger soup, called Banh Troi Tau. Super fresh, thin skinned ginger often makes an appearance in the markets here, perfect for this famous ginger cake that has been on my radar for a while now. Just one missing ingredient: Molasses, impossible to find in Hanoi.

I substituted molasses sugar and golden syrup which resulted in a light and airy cake that exploded with spicy tongue-tingling ginger and deep dark sweetness. The seemingly weightless crumb belies the intensity of flavours it carries. No wonder this cake is famous. I’m a molasses convert now.

David Lebovitz’s Fresh Ginger Cake
David Lebovitz famous ginger cake, via epicurious, adapted only slightly.

1/2 cup fresh ginger
1 cup mild molasses (I used Lyle’s Golden Syrup as molasses was not to be found here in Hanoi).
1 cup sugar (i used Billington’s Molasses Sugar)
1 cup vegetable oil, preferably peanut (I actually used a mild olive oil and found the flavour complimented the spiciniess nicely)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, at room temperature

- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×3″ round cake tin or a 9.5″ springform pan. I used a regular sized loaf tin and and a small round pan for the excess batter. The batter is very runny, so be careful when using a springform tin, and make sure you line it, I didn’t line my round pan and there were tears, soothed by delicious broken cake.

- Peel slice and finely chop or grate the ginger.

- In a medium bowl mix together the molasses, sugar and oil. In another bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.

- Meanwhile, bring the water to the boil in a small saucepan. When it has just boiled stir in the baking soda and remove from heat. Mis the hot water into the molasses mixture. Stir in the ginger.

- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.

- Pour batter into the prepared pan and back for about an hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.

- Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

- It tastes good warm or cold. Alone or with cream.