Christmas Gingerbread | Caribbean Gingerbread
Ginger’s no bit player in my gingerbread. My recipe features it three ways — fresh, powdered and crystallized, for a gingerbread to warm body and spirit.
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon clove
- 1/2 cup grape seed or other neutral oil
- 1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup coffee hot
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 1/3 cup crystallized ginger chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Oil a 10-cup bundt pan, making sure all the crannies get lubed. Give it a light dusting of flour and knock out any excess.
- In a large bowl, sift together unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda and dried spices.
- In a separate bowl, whisk oil, sugar, molasses, coffee and applesauce until thick and well-combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until you have a thick, dark and fragrant batter. Then gently add the fresh and crystallized ginger and give one more stir.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until gingerbread puffs, smells like a fairytale fantasy, and springs back when gently prodded with a finger.
- Allow cake to cool completely, then gently unmold.
Notes
Dust with powdered sugar or finish with a powdered sugar glaze — 2 cup sifted powdered sugar mixed with 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice or plant-based milk of your choice and stirred until smooth and satiny. Drizzle all over cake. Or play up the Caribbean accent with a dollop of coconut cream.
Serves 8 to 10.
How to keep: Gingerbread keeps refrigerated and tightly wrapped for several days.