Best African Ginger Cake Recipes

AFRICAN GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl.
• Rub in the fat thoroughly.
• Add the liquid and mix to a firm dough.
• Roll out on a floured board about 3/8 inch thick.
• Cut into rounds.
• Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

APRIL BLOOMFIELD'S GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack set in the center. Generously butter an 8-inch round, 3-inch high springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper and place on baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a small saucepan, stir together boiling water, molasses, and baking soda until molasses has completely dissolved.
• Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to medium-low and add egg; mix until combined. Add grated ginger and mix to combine.
• Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the molasses mixture, scraping down sides as necessary. Batter will be very wet. Pour batter into prepared pan and transfer to oven. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly before removing ring from springform pan; serve warm.

WEST AFRICAN LIME CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; beat in eggs and lime juice. Stir flour and baking powder into butter mixture until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven until brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

FRESH GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides, or a 9-inch springform pan, with a circle of parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the molasses, sugar and oil. In separate medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.
• In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Stir in baking soda, then mix hot water into molasses mixture. Stir in ginger.
• Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into batter. Add eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of cake springs back lightly when pressed or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of cake browns too quickly before cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.
• Cool cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of cake to loosen it from pan. Invert cake onto a cooling rack, and remove parchment paper.

LOUISIANA GINGERBREAD (STAGE PLANKS OR MULE BELLIES)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a rimmed sheet pan and line it with buttered parchment paper. In a small pan, melt molasses, shortening and ginger together over low heat. Transfer to mixer and mix at medium speed until well blended and slightly cooled, about 3 minutes. Mix in sugar.
• Dissolve baking soda in a tablespoon of hot water and mix into molasses mixture. Working in alternating batches and mixing well after each addition, mix in buttermilk and flour; batter should be quite stiff, not runny. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time, if needed.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake in lower third of oven 10 to 12 minutes, until risen and firm. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into rectangles or use cookie cutters to make shapes.