Just Baking

Last week I told you about the Pumpkin Upside Down Cake with Cranberry Pecan Topping that I was auditioning for a role on the Thanksgiving table.  It was a crowd pleaser, to be sure.  Ultimately, however, I chose to go with a simpler, more understated Ginger Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce, with the thought that cranberries and nuts (to say nothing of pumpkin) would already be saturating the menu.  I was, of course, right about that.  There were three different varieties of cranberry sauce, relish and conserve.  Pecans showed up candied in the salad, toasted in the stuffing, ground with pomegranates in an hors d’ouevre, and in the crumble topping of an apple (and, yes, cranberry) pie.  Oy. I love a pecan as much (and probably more) than the next guy, but enough already…

With that said, I was glad I chose the Molasses Ginger Cake.  The pumpkin upside down cake will definitely be making repeat performances, but perhaps as a follow-up to a less extravagant meal.

You can certainly make your own caramel sauce, but I decided this would be a great excuse to try the Fran’s Dark Caramel Sauce that I’d had my eye on recently.

Fresh whipped cream:  optional, but, of course, highly recommended.  (I added a bit of maple syrup in addition to the usual powdered sugar and vanilla – nice touch, if I do say so myself.)

Recipe courtesy of Three Square Grill in Portland, Oregon

GINGER MOLASSES CAKE

Ingredients

3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 tsp ground ginger
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 cup vegetable oil

Drizzle warmed caramel sauce over individual slices of cake, with whipped cream, if desired.  And come on, who doesn’t desire a nice dollop (or three) of whipped cream?

Method

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan.
* Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl.  Whisk molasses, sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended.  Whisk in 1 cup boiling water and oil, then dry ingredients.  Pour batter into prepared pan.
* Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes.  Turn out onto plate; cool completely.  (Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and store at room temperature.)