Cooking Lesson #395: Classic German Gingerbread Cake

The 2021 Holidays Recipe Collection

How you doin’? My friend Rod Harris is proud of the restaurants in Portland, Oregon (before the insurrections). When I came up to Portland for work, we would go to another new great place. One place in particular that I fell in love with was Salty’s on the Columbia River.
 
I found that the best seafood and steak restaurant in Portland isn’t downtown, it’s on the Columbia River. Salty’s Waterfront Seafood Grill is truly in a class by itself. Great hospitality—they bend over backwards to please you with their award-winning fresh Northwest seafood cuisine and attentive friendly service. Anchored right on the river with sweeping views of the Columbia and majestic Mt. Hood in the background—every seat at Salty’s offers inspiring views. Whether craving Dungeness crab and Maine lobster to their world-famous Alaskan salmon and halibut in season, local oysters and clams, prime steaks, pasta or chicken, you will find many choices on the menus to please the most discriminating tastes. Their entrées were all wonderful but even better was their gingerbread cake. It was so good I asked for the recipe and believe it or not they sent it to me.
 
I make this Classic German Gingerbread cake at least once a year right around Christmas time. This style of cake is a traditional, old fashioned German Christmas market recipe. It’s well-balanced, fragrant with light chocolate back notes.
 
This is very important… set your timer for 35 minutes and don’t open the oven door until the minimum baking time has passed. Unnecessary vibration and opening the door prematurely will cause the cake to fall. I like to use a glass Pyrex baking dish. If you are using a metal cake pan double up with a second pan to prevent burning. 
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes
Cooling time:  1 hours
Yield:  Serves 9 people
 
Ingredients 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for pan prep)
3/4 cup stout (Guinness Stout works best)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup molasses
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, plus a little extra for dusting pan
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-2 tablespoons ground ginger (to your taste)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons grated dark chocolate or mini chips
4 tablespoons crystalized ginger, finely chopped
 
Directions

1. Adjust a rack to the middle position in the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
3. Butter and lightly dust (with cocoa powder) an 8-inch square baking pan.
4. Bring the stout to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the baking soda (the mixture will foam vigorously).  
6. When foaming subsides, stir in the molasses, brown and granulated sugars, and cocoa powder until dissolved; set mixture aside.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pepper together in large bowl; set aside.
8. Transfer the stout mixture to large bowl.
9. Whisk in the eggs, oil, grated ginger and finely chopped crystalized ginger until combined.  
10. Stir the wet mixture into flour mixture in thirds, stirring vigorously until completely smooth after each addition. It is important to stir vigorously to develops the proper gingerbread batter structure necessary to keep the cake from falling.  Do not worry about developing the gluten and making a tough cake.
11. Transfer the well-beaten batter to the prepared pan.
12. Lightly tap the pan against a countertop a couple of times to release any large air bubbles.
13. Bake until the top of the cake is just firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean; about 35 to 45 minutes. See ChefSecret.
14. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for an hour or so.  
15. Cut into 9-squares and serve warm or at room temperature plain, with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
16. This cake will stay fresh for 2 or 3 days (if it lasts that long) wrapped in food film and stored at room temperature.

ChefSecret:  This is very important… set your timer for 35 minutes and don’t open the oven door until the minimum baking time has passed. Unnecessary vibration and opening the door prematurely will cause the cake to fall. I like to use a glass Pyrex baking dish. If you are using a metal cake pan double up with a second pan to prevent burning. 

Quip of the Day: “My passwords are protected by amnesia.”
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. 

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                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

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