In the most minimal fashion, much like the twenty-second year preceding it, my twenty third birthday came and went. There was ice skating with my dad, a shared lunch, a black and white movie at home, and cake; no party, and no candles. Not so much a day of celebration as a day of rest, which sounds just about right to me.
Birthdays of mine have been historically bad days in the past.
Taking into consideration both apocalyptic winter weather and borderline psychotic meltdowns, this quieter, uneventful rendition was a merciful change of pace. Less a marker of having arrived at some milestone, I found the date reassuring, a small checkpoint within the greater journey. I’m still here, twenty three years later, and it’s beginning to look like I may just be here in another twenty three as well. Imagine that.
Corresponding with my laid back non-celebration, the cake at hand was simple, unfussy.
Homely by some estimations. All I wanted was a dark, moist, spicy gingerbread cake, one that reminded me of The One That Got Away. Ten years ago, scouting out a location for my Bat Mitzvah, I chose the final restaurant based solely on the gingerbread cake served for dessert. Dripping with caramel and finished with a fluffy halo towering over the plate, it’s now all I remember about that meal. In my youth and excitement, it never occurred to me that the event would be catered, and I would never see that beauty of a cake again. In fact, the restaurant has since gone out of business, just to close that book entirely.
So I made it for myself, ten years later.
Ten years. 10. It bears repeating because it seems wildly impossible that so much time could have passed. Even if there were no candles and no fanfare, it was the perfect ending to my non-celebration.
Gingerbread Blackout Cake
This dark, moist, spicy gingerbread cake, served dripping with sticky caramel sauce, is the pinnacle of wintertime desserts.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake:
- 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Black Cocoa Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 6 – 7 Teaspoons (2 Heaping Tablespoons) Ground Ginger
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Brewed and Cooled Coffee
- 3/4 Cup Molasses
- 3/4 Cup No Sugar Added Pumpkin Butter or Apple Butter
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Olive Oil
To Serve:
- Vegan Caramel Sauce (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan; Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, and spices. Whisk well to distribute all of the dry goods throughout, and double-check that there are no clumps.
- Separately, mix the coffee, molasses, pumpkin butter, sugar, and oil until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry, and stir with a wide spatula to bring the two together. Being careful not to over-mix, stir just until the batter is smooth and not a second longer. Transfer the batter into your prepared baking pan, smooth out the top, and pop it in the oven. Immediately turn down the heat to 325 degrees, even before you close the oven door.
- Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean- Perhaps with a few moist crumbs sticking to it but certainly not wet. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with butterscotch sauce and whipped creme.
If time allows, this cake does get better with age, so try to make it a day or two in advance for the flavor profile to become more nuanced and balanced.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 265Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 69mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 2g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.