The Marrow’s Ginger Stout Cake

By MELISSA CLARK

This is a rich, fragrant ginger cake with a crunchy raw-sugar coating and moist crumb. The combination of grated fresh ginger root and powdered ginger, along with black pepper and cloves, gives it a particularly intense spice flavor. Make sure to use a good stout here. Since you’ll only use part of a bottle, choose one you’d be happy to finish off while the cake is in the oven. As with most gingerbread, this is a good keeping cake, and can be made a day or two ahead. Store it wrapped in foil at room temperature. Then serve it with cream whipped with a little crème fraiche or sour cream for tartness, which will offset all that crunchy sugar coating the cake.

TOTAL TIME: 1 1/2 hours plus cooling

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 125 grams raw (Demerara) sugar (1/2 cup)

• 1 cup stout

• 1 cup molasses

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 340 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 210 grams dark brown sugar, lightly packed (1 cup)

• 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)

• 3/4 cup safflower oil

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a Bundt pan well with the softened butter. Coat the entire pan with raw sugar so that it sticks to the butter. Turn the pan over to dump out any excess sugar.

3. Add the stout and molasses to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.

4. Carefully whisk in the baking soda and let cool to room temperature. Be careful as the stout mixture will bubble up.

5. Sift together the flour, ground spices, pepper and salt. Set aside.

6. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the fresh ginger, eggs, vanilla extract, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for five minutes.

7. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the oil. Mix for another 5 minutes.

8. Slowly add the stout mixture and mix for another 5 minutes.

9. Carefully add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing well in between each addition

10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

11. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes and then flip upside down to release while still warm. Let cool completely.

YIELD: 12 servings