Years ago, Bon Appetit Magazine published a gingerbread cake recipe coated with chocolate ganache and garnished with candied ginger. I fell in love with the flavors, but always found their version of the cake to be dry. I’ve developed an easy, moist gingerbread cake that goes perfectly underneath the rich, chocolate ganache glaze and punchy ginger. This makes an excellent Thanksgiving, Christmas, or wintertime dinner party dessert.
Moist Gingerbread Cake with Chocolate Ganache & Candied Ginger
Years ago, Bon Appetit Magazine published a gingerbread cake recipe coated with chocolate ganache and garnished with candied ginger. I fell in love with the flavors, but always found their version of the cake to be dry. I’ve developed an easy, moist gingerbread cake that goes perfectly underneath the rich, chocolate ganache glaze and punchy ginger. This makes an excellent Thanksgiving, Christmas, or wintertime dinner party dessert.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup molasses, not blackstrap
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cup (220 grams) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the frosting:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup chopped crystalized ginger
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 F. Butter or oil a 9-inch round baking pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves and salt.
- Heat the water, oil and molasses in a medium saucepan, bringing it just to a simmer. Turn off the heat, then whisk in the baking soda. Be careful as it could bubble up. Stir well, then pour it into the flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla and grated ginger. Pour this into the prepared baking pan, then place in your preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, then check for doneness. It should be springy to the touch, and a cake tester will come out clean. Cool on a rack, leaving the cake in the pan, until it is completely cool.
- Melt the cream, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan, bringing it just to a simmer. Turn off the heat immediately, and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk until smooth.
- Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and remove the parchment. Spread the warm chocolate ganache over the cake in an even layer, then sprinkle with the chopped ginger. Serve the cake at room temperature.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
