Very Ginger Cake with Caramel Topping

This ginger cake would make a great dessert for Thanksgiving if you are willing to step away from the traditional pie extravaganza. This cake can be made several days ahead of time, which can help the busy cook on turkey day.

I love the caramel topping so much I make is by itself to serve on ice cream. Last year I gave it as gifts for the holidays.

Here is a tip for grating the large amount of  fresh ginger this cake requires: freeze it first !!

Very Ginger Cake with Caramel Topping

Ingredients

The Cake

• . 1 cup canola oil
• . 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• . 1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
• . 1 cup molasses
• . 3 large eggs
• . 1/2 cup peeled and finely grated fresh ginger (about 4 ounces)
• . 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + more to flour pan
• . 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• . 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• . 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• . 2  tablespoon powered ginger
• . 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• . 2 teaspoons baking soda
• . 1 cup boiling water

The Caramel Sauce

• . 1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
• . 1/2 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter + more to grease pan
• . 1/2 cup whipping cream
• . 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1) For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 325°. With room-temperature butter, grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with a paper towel, smearing butter into all the pan's crevices as well as the center tube. Add spoonfuls of flour and holding the pan over the sink, rotate it to coat it with flour. The inside tube will not be completely coated. Knock excess flour into the sink by tapping the pan lightly.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugars and molasses until combined. 

3) Add eggs and mix until smooth. 

4) Now it's time to grate the ginger. I love the mirco-grater for this job. And if your fresh ginger is frozen as mentioned earlier, it's an easier job. 

5) Whisk in ginger to incorporate.

6) If you have the whole nutmeg it worth to grate it fresh. A tiny grater does the trick.

7) Add that nutmeg to another large bowl, with the flour, cinnamon, cloves, powered ginger and salt, mix together.

8) Add flour mixture to molasses mixture until combined. 

9) Stir baking soda into boiling water.

10) Mix baking soda water into batter until blended.

11) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. 

12) Bake for 50-60 minutes or until sides begin to pull away from pan and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Remove to a rack and cool in pan for 15 minutes.

For the glaze: 

1) In a small saucepan, stir brown sugar, butter, whipping cream and salt over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. 

2) Reduce heat to medium-low and stir until smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

You can do it two ways: 

     Invert cake onto rack over a baking sheet. Using a small skewer, pierce holes all over top of warm cake. Very slowly pour glaze over top, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. Cool cake at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

   Or just make the caramel sauce and pour it warm over each slice of cake as it is served.