LEMON-GINGER CAKE

HEY, i always have a weakness for ginger and lime/lemon. i love d pungency of ginger, the strong taste that it brings which is much opposed to the sweetness of a cake. this cake is simple. and it has its own character, which one gets to feel from the very first bite one takes. this cake as opposed to others is sweet to a very moderate level. and for me, the smell and taste of lime is very refreshing. i remember, while i was in school, and had to juggle between my tuitions i always used a lime deodorant, to get rid of the tiredness and feel fresh.this cake has that refreshing property.and this cake is one of my favorite, easy homemade cakes, with the flavor & taste of my favorite  ingredients.this cake flattered me like no one else and made me feel so happy & nostalgic.

when i took a first bite of the cake, the first flavor to cover my mouth was ginger, the smell was of distinct ginger. but another flavor interrupted. that is the lime. while is was relishing the ginger flavor i had also bitten a lemon rind, which brought out the flavor of the lime. the bitter-sourness of the lime is another plus point of the cake. hers is the recipe for all of you to try.

adapted from recipe by David Lebovitz from “Room for Dessert”

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Ingredients:

• 4 ounces fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup mild molasses (or 1 cup molasses, and omit the honey)
• 1/2 cup honey 
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil, preferably peanut
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves ( I ground whole cloves with a little sugar & sifted them with the flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 eggs, at room temperature

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 9 by 3-inch round cake pan or a 9 1/2 inch spring form pan with a circle of parchment paper.
• Peel, slice, and chop the ginger very fine with a knife . 
• Mix together the molasses, honey, sugar, and oil. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.
• Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, stir in the baking soda, and then mix the hot water into the molasses mixture. 
• Stir in the ginger.
• Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the batter. 
• Add the eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. 
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of the cake springs back lightly when pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake browns too quickly before the cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.
• Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.

now comes the changes and the additions. i had used much more than the quantity of ginger & lemon rind specified here. its up to your choice. moreover i had used sugar less than the quantity here. and i had also added a few drops(1 or 2) of vanilla extract before putting it inside the oven. and the moment i took it out from the oven after it was complete, i had poured in around 1 tbsp of ginger juice. and i had also baked it for 5 min less than the specified timings. i did not have peanut oil, so have used normal vegetable oil. i had also added some broken pieces of cashew nuts.

and if you wanna decorate it, then while beating the cream, mix in ginger juice and a bit of lemon extract, not much. and you can top it with thin slices of lemon cut in a circular way. i didn't do it, because i was in a hurry to eat it. these were my additions & subtractions depending upon my choice. now its time for you.

let me know, how it turned out to be. and try it out till i m back with some other recipe.