Chocolate Cake with Ginger Icing
A magnificent cake, subtly enhanced by orange and cinnamon, allowing the chocolate and ginger to assume their starring roles.
Cake
- 1 cup strong coffee, hot
- 1½ cups cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk OR milk
- ½ lb un-salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 3-inch cinnamon stick, ground
- 1 Tbsp dried orange peels
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Icing
- ½ lb un-salted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 to 4 tsp dried ginger, ground
- ¼ cup milk
- Candied ginger, to decorate
Cake
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1
Preheat the oven to 350 °F and place a grill in the center of the oven.
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2
Oil or lightly butter two 8-inch molds, cover the bottoms with parchment paper.
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3
Pour the cocoa powder into a heat proof mixing bowl, add the coffee and blend until the mixture is smooth.
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4
Add buttermilk to the coffee/cocoa mixture and incorporate well. Set aside.
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5
In another mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices for approximately 5 minutes, until light and creamy.
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6
Continue mixing, adding the eggs one at a time.
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7
Add one third of the flour to the butter/sugar blend and mix well.
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8
Add half the coffee preparation and incorporate fully. Continue alternately adding dry and liquid ingredients – without mixing excessively – until a smooth dough is formed.
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9
Divide the dough equally into the two molds, cook for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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10
Let cool on a grill. Unmold delicately, placing the cake upside down to flatten the dome that formed on the top. This helps create flat layers, making stacking and icing easier.
Icing
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1
Slowly mix the powdered sugar, butter and salt together.
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2
Continue mixing at high speed until the icing is smooth and light.
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3
Add the ground ginger and the milk, whisk until homogeneous.
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4
Set aside at room temperature.
Assembly
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1
Cut each cake in two, horizontally, creating four equal layers.
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2
Place the first layer on a serving dish then using a metal spatula, spread on one quarter of the icing. Begin by applying a thin layer, to « seal » the surface of the cake which avoids getting cake crumbs in the remaining icing.
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3
Place another layer of cake on the icing and repeat the exercise for the remaining two layers. Pour the remaining icing on top and decorate with candied ginger.
