Gingercake from the Culinary Institute of America

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Gingercake - Culinary Institute of America
Gingercake

As part of the tuition for my Pro Baking 1 class at the New School of Cooking in Culver City, we got a chef's coat and the book: Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America

The instructor doesn't assign any of the recipes, but we are encouraged to make similar recipes to the week's topic. She picked this book because the recipes have been tested by the CIA...the Culinary Institute of America, not the bunch of spies. I made this gingerbread awhile back and found the photos in my Flickr account, and thought, "Oh, I forgot to post that." Does that happen to you too?!

Gingercake - Culinary Institute of America
This recipe is easy to assemble. The middle of my cake fell (see here), but I'm sure I must have done something wrong in the mixing or baking.

I like to bring in treats to my co-workers in easy to grab/carry/eat sections. I buy these cupcake cups in bulk at Surfas! :)

Gingercake - Culinary Institute of America
It was a nice cake...soft and moist. It goes well with tea or coffee...and perhaps a cold day. Which, by the way, is something we haven't had that much of in Los Angeles. It has been in the 70's this January (especially for the Rose Parade, Rose Bowl and BCS Championship...it is all part of the tourist industry's plan to keep the visitors coming ;)

P.S. And if you are a fan of Gingerbread, tune in next week for a post about a delicious Gingerbread Apple Upside Cake that is sooooo good you must make it! Really. It was yummmmmmy.

Recipe:
Gingercake
Adapted from Gingercake on page 85 of Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America. Purchase here or see if your library has the book here on Worldcat

Printable Recipe here

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t ground ginger
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1/2 c molasses
1/2 c buttermilk
2 large eggs (I always use room temp eggs for baking....leave out for awhile or place in warm water for 15 minutes before using)

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. (I place a piece of parchment in the pan and spray with Pam with Flour).
2. Sift together flour, ginger, baking powder & soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar in stand mixer with paddle attachment until light in texture, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the molasses and buttermilk and beat until evenly blended, about 1 minute.
5. Increase speed to medium and cream until smooth and light, about 2 more minutes.
6. Add eggs one at a time on medium speed.
7. Add the sifted dry ingredients on low speed until evenly blended and smooth.
8. Pour into cake pan and bake until center springs back when pressed lightly, about 45 minutes.
9. Let cool on wire rack. Slice and serve...dust with powdered sugar.
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18 comments:

.............. said... [Reply to comment]

These look excellent! Thank you for the recipe!

Memória said... [Reply to comment]

What a lovely cake!!! Wow.

Sook said... [Reply to comment]

That looks moist and delicious! Love ginger flavored desserts!

DailyChef said... [Reply to comment]

Looks delicious! I love that you can say "this recipe has been approved by the CIA." Haha.

Patricia Scarpin said... [Reply to comment]

It really looks very moist - delicious!

Cristina said... [Reply to comment]

Le tue torte sono veramente fantastiche!
complimenti
un saluto
cristina

Book Boor said... [Reply to comment]

Is there a way to convert this for a bundt pan? Or is any conversion needed? Thanks.

The Food Librarian said... [Reply to comment]

Book Boor, Hum, I don't know... My middle sunk so I don't know if it can withstand the "tallness" of a Bundt. But I could have totally messed up my cake too! Give it a try and let me know how it goes. You'll have to bake it longer. Good luck, mary

Margarita Bloom said... [Reply to comment]

Mmm, looks delicious!!

Donna-FFW said... [Reply to comment]

Looks like a lovely cake. Your coworkers must adore you.

Maria said... [Reply to comment]

I will have to try this recipe. Looks very tasty!

Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

I love that you cut it up and put it in cute cupcake cups for your coworkers. You must be VERY popular at the library :) I've been trying to work up the nerve to ask the librarians at my local library if I can drop off goodies for them since I never seem to have enough people to pass things along to.

Eliana said... [Reply to comment]

I have this book in my collection and will have to give this recipe a try because this cake looks super delish.

Y said... [Reply to comment]

I might already have said this before, but I'm completely mad for gingercake/bread. Ginger apple upside down cake sounds too good to miss!

Nutmeg Nanny said... [Reply to comment]

This looks delicious! I live about 5 minutes away from the CIA and I'm there all the time. The restaurants are the best and their little pastry cafe keeps me happy all week long :)

Mermaid Sews said... [Reply to comment]

I love surfas, your cake looks good. I love ginger anything!

Karen R. said... [Reply to comment]

Oooh, can I come and work for you?!

Trish said... [Reply to comment]

I am so making this! I ran across your blog tonight...can't even remember how and I realize I HAVE been here before but this time I am linking you on to my blog! You are my kind of cook/baker! Love how you share your treats....my office staff are feeling nervous...like they are getting fattened for something...they know not what! Grin

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