Chocolate-Covered Gingerbread Cake

My friend R.R. sent me a gingerbread house for Christmas.  Naturally, it is still up as a decoration, though I find myself wanting to break off a chunk and eat it.  Maybe from somewhere not too visible.  Or I could cut out a piece and make it look like a doorway...

My mom bought some gingerbread cookies that are covered with chocolate.  They are yummy.  I guess this is going to be a gingerbread -themed Christmas.

With that in mind, I found this recipe for chocolate-covered gingerbread cake at Epicurious and Bon Appetit Magazine (December 2002).

Cake:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated, peeled fresh ginger

Glaze:

1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

For cake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a nine-inch square baking pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Butter parchment.  Whisk first six ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

Mix warm water and baking soda in a small bowl until the baking soda dissolves.  Using electric mixer, beat sugar, molasses, eggs, butter and fresh ginger in a large bowl until blended.  Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with water and baking soda in two additions, beating until just combined.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Cool on rack about 20 minutes.  Run knife around edge of cake to loosen.  Invert cake onto rack, cool, remove parchment.

For Glaze:  Bring first three ingredients to simmer in a medium saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate and vanilla; stir until smooth.  Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 20 minutes.

Place cake on rack set above baking sheet.  Reserve 1/2 cup glaze.  Pour remaining glaze over cake, spreading with spatula to coat top and sides.  Chill cake and reserved glaze until reserved glaze is firm enough to pipe, about 1 hour.

Transfer reserved glaze to pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain tip.  Pipe five diagonal lines across the cake, spacing evenly.  Cluster crystallized ginger atop lines.  (Can be made one day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Comments

[godiva chocolate]

Since ages, chocolate is loved by all people due to its special taste. Many experts have noted that chocolates are

unhealthy and continuous eating often results in tooth decay. Some medical experts have stated that chocolates contain

sugar substances and thus add calories to the body and increase the sugar levels in the blood. But, it has been recently

found that chocolates are good for our health as they have a lot of advantages. Chocolates contain antioxidants.

Therefore they kill the free radicals and obstruct the oxidization of lipids into our body. The antioxidants are a

concentrated form of flavonoids.