Cake #42 - Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake

After a spring with lots of travel and many working weekends, yesterday I devoted the better part of the day to cooking and baking.  I made three cakes to bring to an open house going-away party, a pan of enchiladas and a big pot of Mexican tomato lime soup for dinners later in the week, and a big batch of guacamole, also for the party.  My son helped with one of the cakes and the soup, and we got to try out my new immersion blender, a recent birthday gift.

The cakes were for friends of ours who are moving to California.  We have been so lucky to have these friends - one of whom is a graduate school classmate of mine, who also does photo history - in our lives for such a long time.  When, in modern living, do you have friends in your same city over 13-year period?  In the past few weeks, my cake-making has been all about gluten-free baking, because their son has celiac disease.  It's been nice to create gluten-free cakes that are something he can eat, and expand my repertoire.

You know that movie, Like Water for Chocolate?  Everyone does, right?  In the magical realist Mexican tale, the protagonist, Tita, can imbue the food she makes with magical powers.  As she cooks, her emotions about the person for whom she is making the dish, combine with the ingredients to create food that cause lust, or illness, or sadness in those who eat the meal.

I think about that often when I'm cooking.  I find my time in the kitchen an intensely social experience.  I connect certain recipes to the people who gave them to me, or to people who have complimented a particular dish I've made.  I associate techniques with particular friends.  And when I'm cooking for someone in particular, I think about them as I work.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope the people who ate the cakes I made for the open house yesterday could taste the years of love and friendship I folded into them.  It's so hard when friends leave.  You can support them and know that they are moving on to an exciting new chapter, but it's hard not to feel sad and selfish too. 

The American Test Kitchen gluten-free cookbook came through for me again.  This gingerbread cake is intensely spiced, with the kind of rich flavor you get from molasses.  They say it serves 12, but I sliced it in 24 slices - and I think the thinner slices are better, given the strong flavors of the cake.  It would be good with a cup of coffee or a big glass of milk.  Or even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.  It's also a really solid, hearty cake.  My daughter carried it in its cake carrier, and it slid back and forth with no noticeable damage to the uncut cake.  It could do well for a picnic or some other feast afield. 

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake

Cake

1¼ cups sour cream

4 large eggs

2/3 cup molasses

3½ ounces (1/2 cup packed) light brown sugar

3½ ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

13 ounces (2¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons) ATK Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see end of recipe) OR 13 ounces (2¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour – cake will not rise as much and will be denser)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon pepper

 

Glaze

4 ounces (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

5 teaspoons water (I used lemon juice)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Pinch salt

 

1.       For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 16-cup tube or Bundt pan.  [Mine was a 10-cup Bundt pan – the cake rose right up to the edge, but didn’t overflow.]

2.       Whisk sour cream, eggs, molasses, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, and fresh ginger together in a bowl until combined.  In large bowl, whisk flour blend, baking powder, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pepper together.  Whisk sour cream mixture into flour blend mixture until batter is thoroughly combined and smooth.

3.       Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake until top of cake is just firm to touch and skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.  Let cake cool in pan on wire rack, about 1½ hours.  Run thin knife around edge of cake to loosen, then remove cake from pan and return it to wire rack. 

4.       For the glaze: Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour glaze evenly over top of cooled cake.  Let glaze set for 20 minutes before serving.  (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) Gluten-Free Flour Blend

Makes 42 ounces (about 9 1/3 cups)

24 ounces (4½ cups plus 1/3 cup) white rice flour (Bob’s Red Mill brand highly recommended)

7½ ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour (Bob’s Red Mill brand highly recommended)

7 ounces (1 1/3 cups potato starch (NOT potato flour)

3 ounces (3/4 cup) tapioca starch (sometimes called tapioca flour)

¾ ounce (3 tablespoons) nonfat milk powder

 

Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen