Syrupy Chinese Ginger Cake Recipes

SYRUPY CHINESE GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170°C (340F) and butter a 20cm. (8") non-stick cake tin.
• First, prepare the ginger. In a medium saucepan, combine the ginger, water, brown sugar and honey and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes then cool. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the brown sugar, white sugar and butter together until thick and creamy. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well by hand after each addition.
• Add the flour and milk and stir gently but thoroughly. Remove the ginger from the syrup and slice thinly, then add 3/4 of the ginger to the cake, stirring to distribute the ginger.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake at 170°C (340F) for one hour, or until the cake appears firm and dry on top and yields gently to pressure when pressed in the centre with your finger. Pour the ginger syrup over the hot cake and allow the cake to absorb the syrup. When the syrup has been absorbed, remove the cake tin.
• To serve, spoon some thick, pure cream on top of the cake and decorate with the remaining slices of ginger. Alternatively, serve the cream on the side of the cake, with the ginger slices folded through the cream or on top of the cake.

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, ginger, baking powder, orange zest, baking powder, five-spice, and salt together.
• Mix applesauce and tea together in a separate bowl.
• Beat eggs with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very fluffy and light. Pour in oil gradually and beat on medium speed until combined. Alternate adding the flour and applesauce mixtures, mixing just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Place a wire rack over the cake pan and flip to release cake onto the rack. Let cool completely, at least 45 minutes.
• Cut parchment paper into any shapes you like to act as stencils. Brush lightly with water and stick them over the surface of the cake. Gently sprinkle turmeric around the shapes. Carefully lift up stencils.

GOLDEN GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan, cake pan or tart pan with nonstick cooking spray (or grease with softened butter) and sprinkle with a bit of Demerara sugar to coat the interior of the pan; tap out excess and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, turmeric, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
• Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer and a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and molasses until the mixture is light, fluffy and the color of a very pale latte, 3 to 4 minutes. (Feel free to periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are mixing properly.) Add fresh ginger and beat to blend.
• Add eggs, one at a time, until they are totally incorporated and the mixture looks extremely light and fluffy, almost like cake frosting, 5 or so minutes. (Be sure to wipe off any ginger that may have stuck to the beaters.)
• Combine buttermilk and oil in a bowl or a measuring cup. With the mixer on low, beat 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the cake batter, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with 1/3 of the dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients.
• Pour cake batter into prepared pan and scatter with more Demerara sugar. Bake, rotating once or twice if your oven has hot spots or tends to be uneven, until the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, it's evenly golden brown on top and it springs back ever so slightly when pressed, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack if you have one. (If not, just let it cool away from the oven.) Do not remove cake from the pan until it is 100 percent cool. Serve with lightly whipped cream or the ice cream of your choice.

BEST EVER EASY GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly grease a 25cm square (10 inch) cake tin and line it with baking (silicone) paper.
• (Try to use the correct size tin or the cake may crack.) Set the oven to moderate 180° C (350° F).
• Sift all of the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
• Combine butter pieces, golden syrup and treacle in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted.
• (This step can also be done in the microwave.) Add water to syrup mixture.
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the syrup mixture and the eggs.
• Mix until well combined.
• Don’t be concerned that the mixture is quite liquid at this stage.
• Pour cake mixture into prepared tin.
• Tap tin lightly on bench to dispel air bubbles.
• Place on centre shelf of 180° C (350° F) oven for 35-40 minutes.
• Check towards the end of the baking time to ensure the edges are not burning.
• The cake should be dark but must not be blackened at the edges.
• (If you do burn the edges, cut them off and ice over the edges and no-one will notice!).
• When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Then, carefully invert it onto a rack or bread board to cool.
• Icing the Cake: Sift the icing sugar into a small mixing bowl.
• In a separate small mixing bowl, beat the butter (or margarine) until smooth.
• Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, beating between additions until the sugar is completely mixed with the butter.
• Add the lemon juice and beat well until the mixture reaches an easily spreadable consistency.
• Spread icing over the top of the cake and (optional) decorate with pieces of crystallised ginger.

GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter and flour loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Pulse ginger and 1/2 cup flour in a food processor until ginger is finely chopped.
• Beat butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add brown sugar, a little at a time, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in reserved ginger syrup, then beat in chopped ginger mixture.
• Beat whites and a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Fold one fourth of whites into batter gently but thoroughly, then sift one fourth of remaining cup flour into batter and fold gently but thoroughly. Add remaining egg whites and flour alternately in 3 batches, folding in same manner.
• Spoon batter into loaf pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and turn cake out onto rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and by mail order from Simpson & Vail (800-282-8327; svtea.com).

GINGER SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of a greased 9-in. round baking pan with parchment; grease paper., In a large bowl, beat butter, maple syrup and brown sugar until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition (batter may appear curdled)., Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; remove paper. Cool completely. If desired, serve with whipped cream and additional maple syrup.

TRIPLE GINGER SKILLET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees, and lightly grease a 12-inch oven-safe skillet with unsalted butter.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the molasses, and grate the ginger using a fine grater into the mixing bowl. Mix until well combined, scraping the bowl as necessary, 1 minute more. Add the egg and mix to incorporate, about 30 seconds more.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt to combine. Add half of the flour mixture to the mixer and mix on low speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well.
• Add the milk and mix to incorporate. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the crystallized ginger by hand.
• Pour the batter into the prepared skillet, and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the surface with turbinado sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Let cool for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with powdered sugar.