=== CAKE ===
3 c Flour; sifted
1 1/2 tb Baking powder
3/4 ts Salt
1 tb Ground ginger
1 1/2 c Toasted pecans; ground fine
9 Toasted pecan halves
1 1/2 c Unsalted butter; room
-temperature
3 c Light brown sugar; sifted
6 lg Eggs; lightly beaten
1 c Milk; plus
2 tb Milk
3/4 ts Grated fresh ginger
2 ts Vanilla extract
1 pt Creme fraiche
2 ts Bourbon; optional
3 tb Confectioners’ sugar; to
-taste
1/4 oz Crystallized ginger; cut
-thin strips
=== GLOSSY CARAMEL ICING ===
1 1/2 c Sugar
3/4 c Heavy cream
CAKE: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in the center of oven.
Line bottoms of three 8- by 2-inch buttered cake pans with parchment. Dust
bottoms and sides with flour; tap out excess. Sift flour, baking powder,
salt, and ground ginger into medium bowl. Add ground pecans, and whisk to
combine; set aside. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add
brown sugar until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a
time, beating each time until batter is no longer slick, about 5 minutes;
scrape down sides twice. On low, add flour mixture to sugar-butter mixture,
alternating with milk, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with
flour mixture; scrape down bowl twice. Beat in grated ginger and vanilla.
Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 30 minutes; rotate pans, if
necessary, for even browning. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until cake tester
inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Transfer pans to wire racks
to cool, about 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, and return to wire
racks, tops up; let cool. (Makes three 8-inch layers) Meanwhile, whip creme
fraiche with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add bourbon and
confectioners’ sugar; beat until soft peaks return. Transfer to medium
bowl, cover, and refrigerate to firm, about 1 hour. To assemble cake,
remove parchment from bottoms of cakes. Set aside prettiest layer, it will
be used for top of cake. Place one layer on serving platter, and spread
with half the creme fraiche filling; repeat with second layer. Top cake
with reserved third. Chill cake while icing is being prepared. Pour the
icing onto the center point on the top of the cake, and let it flow down
the sides. When the icing has set slightly, 5 to 10 minutes, arrange the
pecan halves and crystallized ginger on the top. GLOSSY CARAMEL ICING:
Place sugar in a large skillet over medium heat. Let cook until it begins
to melt and turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes. As sugar melts, stir with back of
a wooden spoon if needed, until amber colored, and about 310 degrees on
candy thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly pour cream into skillet, being
careful as you pour because it willl splatter. Stir with wooden spoon,
reducing heat to medium-low. Continue stiring; hardened caramel will melt
into cream and become soft and liquid. Change to a whisk; continue stirring
slowly to minimize bubbles until completely smooth, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove
from heat, and let cool slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour icing directly onto
chilled cake. If caramel becomes too stiff to pour, warm over a double
boiler. (Makes 1 1/2 cups)
Cuisine: “Mexican”
Yields
1 servings