Brown Sugar–Ginger Cream Cake

Name: Brown Sugar–Ginger Cream Cake
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup cake flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 cup maple sugar, dark muscovado, or organic dark brown sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

December 19, 2010

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Brown Sugar–Ginger Cream CakeCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

I love how a cream cake comes together so easily, its tender crumb and its neutral pound-cake-like personality. But until I started playing around with different sugars, it always seemed too bake-shop bland. Like shortbread, the rather neutral ingredients show off whatever sugar (or flour) you use. Maple sugar is subtle and warm, while the superdark organic brown sugar or muscovado make a caramel-like cake that calls out for ginger and a bit of pepper. In the end, it's a great cake for fall and winter, when we turn to apples, pears, and dried fruits.

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