This is a substantial yet tender spice cake that's flavorful enough to serve unadorned. For my gingerbread variation, consider bringing along a jar of lemon curd.
Ingredients
- ½ cups bleached all-purpose flour: 2 piece
- cornstarch: 0.25 cup
- baking powder: 1 tsp
- baking soda: 1 tsp
- salt: 0.5 tsp
- ground ginger: 1 Tbsp
- ground cinnamon: 1 tsp
- ground allspice: 0.5 tsp
- milk: 1 cup
- eggs: 3 piece
- vanilla extract: 2 tsp
- unsalted butter, softened until easily spreadable: 1 cup
- dark brown sugar: 1 cup
- molasses: 1 cup
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a metal or disposable foil 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs, molasses and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
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Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into cake pan.
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Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack. Let cool.
