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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Gingerbread Espresso Bundt Cake

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Gingerbread and espresso? Together? Yes! The flavors in this bundt cake are complex, but it's exactly this combination that makes the cake so wonderful. Next time, I think I'll add chocolate chips, which would add another interesting (and delicious!) element to this cake.

I think I over-baked my cake by a few minutes, making it a little drier than I would have liked. Thankfully, the taste of the cake out-shined the texture! We ate pieces of this topped with vanilla ice cream, but it's also good plain (or with freshly whipped cream). Coffee or hot chocolate is another perfect accompaniment.

This is a great option if you're looking for an easy Christmas dessert that will still impress...and the leftovers make for an excellent breakfast ;)


One Year Ago: Brownie Bottom Nutella Cheesecake Squares
Two Years Ago: Sugar Cookie Bites

Gingerbread Espresso Bundt Cake
from Tracey's Culinary Adventures


Ingredients:
-1/2 cup molasses
-1/2 cup very strongly brewed coffee or espresso (cooled to just warm)
-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1 tbsp instant espresso powder
-2 tsp ground ginger
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
-1/8 tsp ground cloves
-2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
-1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
-3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

for the glaze-
-1 1/2 tbsp brewed espresso (or 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp hot water)
-1 cup confectioners' sugar
(I also added a tbsp or so of milk to thin the glaze a bit)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick spray and flour.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together molasses and coffee. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, espresso powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth (approximately 1 minute). Add brown sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. With the mixer on low speed, alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the coffee/molasses mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat just until ingredients are mixed in and the batter is smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Run a knife through the batter to eliminate air pockets. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing cake from pan and cooling completely on the wire rack.
6. To glaze, mix the confectioners' sugar with the espresso until smooth. Drizzle over cake.