Showstopping Decadent Ginger Spiced Cake

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIE FINDLAY OW DO YOU MAKE THE holiday season extra special without making it harder on yourself? This showstopper dessert is all you need this season of H celebration. The cake comes together quickly and easily with a couple of bowls and a hand whisk, and the icing can be whipped up with hand beaters. From such a simple technique, you will be delighted with the deep, rich, spiced flavour that will complement your festive dinner parties or enjoyed with afternoon tea.

Makes 2 – 22.5 cm round cakes or 12 cupcakes

¾ cup (180 mL) molasses ½ cup (120 mL) apple sauce ½ cup sugar ¼ cup (60 mL) maple syrup ½ cup (120 mL) neutral oil (like canola) 1½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour 1 cup buckwheat flour 1 Tbs ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves ¾ tsp allspice 8 grates nutmeg pinch salt 2 tsp baking soda 2½ Tbs grated ginger 1 tsp ground ginger 2 eggs room temperature, whisked

Note: A microplane is perfect for grating the ginger. Another option is to roughly chop the ginger then add it to your food processor along with the sugar and pulse until the ginger is finely chopped.

Heat oven to 350º F. 1. Line the bottom and sides of your 22.5 cm (9”) round cake pan with parchment paper or cupcake tin with liners. 2. Mix together the molasses, apple sauce, sugar, maple syrup and oil. 3. In another bowl, sift together flours, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and salt. 4. In a small saucepan or kettle, bring 1 cup (240 mL) water to a boil. Add baking soda to hot water, then mix into molasses mixture. Stir in grated ginger. 5. Gradually whisk the dry ingredients (flour and spice mixture) into the wet ingredients (molasses mixture). Add eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. 6. Pour the batter into prepared cake pan, and bake about 35 minutes (about 20 minutes for cupcakes), until top of cake springs back lightly when pressed or until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool cake for at least 30 minutes. 7. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen it from pan. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack, and peel off parchment paper. Let cool completely before icing.

Note: You can also bake the batter in loaf pans for perfect slices to pack for lunch.

Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 2½ cups

1 package cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup butter, room temperature 3 cups icing sugar, sifted 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract 1½ Tbs (22 mL) lemon juice

1. In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, whip butter and cream cheese until combined and smooth. 2. Gradually add icing sugar and whip (starting on low so as to not have icing sugar fly everywhere) until fully incorporated and smooth. 3. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and whip again until smooth.

There are plenty of ways to spruce up your cake or cupcakes for guests. However, without stressing yourself out and taking on too much before your party, there are a couple of ways to add a bit of cheer:

- When decorating cupcakes, outfit the bases in party pants with a bright red or green foil liner. - Along with the white cream cheese icing, top the icing with simple red or white nonpareils. Bright, cheery and simple. - Another simple and effective way to decorate your cakes is with natural decor. This simple candied technique will have you sugar coating anything you can find.

Note: This cake is delicious on it’s own without icing. It is lovely and warming with a mug of coffee or tea or even a glass of port as an after dinner treat. Note: You will also need a small paintbrush that has not been used before. Make sure you decor is bug free, pesticide free and non-toxic. Prep your decorations so they are clean and dry.

Candied Coating Technique

1 egg white 1 tsp (5 mL) vodka or water 1 cup super fine white sugar Decorations of choice

1. In a small bowl, gently whisk the egg white and the vodka (or water) until combined. The egg white will become a bit frothy. (The vodka is used because it dries a lot quicker than water but water works just as well.) 2. In assembly line fashion, use your paint brush to paint on the egg white then lightly coat with sugar and place on your drying rack or a piece of parchment and leave to dry overnight. 3. Once everything is dry they can be stored for a month in a cool dry place.

Now you can get your cake decorations done early in the month.

Natalie is a freelance writer, photographer and pastry chef. A graduate of Cordon Bleu’s pastry program, she manages her own business too to create custom-made cakes.

L I B E R T À AWARD WINNING!

JAMES SUCKLING: 2010-91/100 2011-91/100 2012-90/100 2013-92/100 2014-90/100 2015-92/100 2016-93/100 2017-92/100 2018- 92 /100

DECANTER: 2014 - 91 points 2021 ALBERTA BEVERAGE AWARDS: Best In Class Italian Red Wine Blend.

TASTING NOTES Very deep, it tells of the excellent quality of the grapes. Balsamic, typical of the main grape variety in the blend. Round, pervasive, with sweet tannins, perfectly balanced. Complex, long, yet not overpowering.