Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Ultimate Gingerbread Cake

I've been on a gingerbread kick lately. I had a gingerbread latte recently and I thought it was excellent; spicy and not too sweet. It adds nice depth to a full bodied coffee.

So at the store today I bought some gingerbread latte creamer. This will either thrill me or disappoint me. I can't wait to try it!

For my father's celebratory birthday dinner a few weeks ago, I made him a decadent, dense gingerbread cake. It needs little else other than a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar like the first dusting of snow. However, I took the recipe's suggestion and made up homemade whipped cream. They suggested an unsweetened cream to combat the richness of the cake, but I cheated and added just the slightest hint of vanilla sugar*.

I can't endorse this cake enough. You can make it in a bundt pan as it suggests-which makes it look pretty-but I've had just as much luck pouring the batter into a loaf pan and serving thin slices with coffee.

*How do you make vanilla sugar, you ask? You buy expensive vanilla bean pods for one recipe for a friend's birthday present, you balk at the cost, you decide you need to re-use the pods in some way, you throw some sugar in a tupperware with sugar and let it sit in there until the sugar takes on a heavenly, perfect aroma and flavor. You leave the pods in and replace the sugar as you go. You put it in recipes, in coffee, in your famous french toast. Everyone is impressed with you because this seems like something Martha Stewart would do, not a busy graduate student.


PS This cake is incredible. I highly recommend you try it for the holidays. Impress your friends and family!

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