Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I made this a couple of years ago and it's fantastic! Going to make it again this year instead of cookies, since I just don't have enough hours in the week.

Plus, it's easy and I love it! ;)

Maybe a Pistachio Jello Pudding Cake, too!

Lee

P.S. The Gingerbread keeps a LOT longer than 3 days!

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gramercy tavern gingerbread

Gourmet | February 2000
Claudia Fleming

The use of leavening in a cake is first recorded in a recipe for gingerbread from Amelia Simmons's American Cookery, published in Hartford in 1796; I guess you could say it is the original great American cake. Early-19th-century cookbooks included as many recipes for this as contemporary cookbooks do for chocolate cake. This recipe, from Claudia Fleming, pastry chef at New York City's Gramercy Tavern, is superlative—wonderfully moist and spicy.
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr
Servings: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout
1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cardamom
3 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Confectioners sugar for dusting
Special equipment: a 10-inch (10- to 12-cup) bundt pan
Accompaniment: unsweetened whipped cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugars. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
Serve cake, dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream.


Cooks' notes:
• This recipe was tested with Grandma's brand green-label molasses.
• Like the chocolate decadence cake, the gingerbread is better if made a day ahead. It will keep 3 days, covered, at room temperature.

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Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
I'll bet you didn't know you just played Santa, Lee. This is exactly what I've been wanting - a good gingerbread recipe! I'm so excited. As a side note - do you do the freshly ground nutmeg? I've never even seen a nutmeg. Could I used powdered nutmeg instead, do you think?
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Terry, Terry, TERRY!!!

PLEASE go get yourself some whole nutmeg and a little grater, or use your microplaner. Whole nutmeg keeps forever, and is not only used in baking, but on spinach and other greens, eggnog (natch), in your pre-perked coffee, and other stuff.

There is NO comparison between the powdered stuff in the bottle and freshly grated. I hate the former and love the latter!

Lee
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
I had no idea, but I'm sold! Where do you buy it? Is it at the grocery store? And does it have a shell?
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
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They come ready to grate. They are hard little nuggets, but you don't have to peel anything.

You should be able to find a small bottle with 4-5 whole nutmegs with the spices in your supermarket. I think.

Lee
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Thank you, thank you, Lee. I've never noticed them before but then again, I was never looking for them before. I'm excited about adding to my coffee, too. I'll post back when I get it and make the gingerbread.
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
I use the whole nutmeg too. It definitely makes a difference. I get it in the grocery store with the spices.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Terry, I hope you got the chance to make this cake - it's unbelievably GREAT!

I tried it last night with some whipped cream on it .... better just plain!

SO moist!

Lee
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Made another one of these for the season.

Damn, I love this cake!

Lee
 

Guts

New member
Lee
am I reading this right 1 cup of beer Guiness Stout how unusual, guess that's why they call it Tavern gingerbread... copied it to my favorites, going to have to try this one. Thanks for the recipe.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
This is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and I've made the cake many times, but since I'm dieting, I wanted to make cupcakes, muffin tops, and mini cupcakes to share. It was significantly more work this way, especially since I decided to frost them (my father said he only likes gingerbread when it's frosted).

The cake is REALLY moist and delicious, and I'm glad I saved a few of the minis for those times when I "just want a bite". One of my friends is, like me, a non-sweet-eater - she's "just a bite" person, too.

I did not see Guts' question (wonder where he is?) until now, 10 years later. Yes, I use 1 cup of stout beer. This year, I happened to have a coffee-flavored stout, a "breakfast beer", LOL! Dee-licious!

Lee

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