Description
This rich, moist cake is flavored with a combination of fresh and dried ginger, as well as, a combination of spices to highlight the flavor of Celestial’s Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Tea used in this cake. Molasses plays off the tea flavor and pairs well with the rich, cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 2/3 cup water
- 4 Celestial Seasonings Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Black Tea bags
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Frosting:
- ¾ cup cold heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- ¼ cup light honey
- Dash of vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Heat oven & prep pans: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment and butter again.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour through cloves).
- Steep water: Add water and tea bags to a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
- Mix wet ingredients: While water is coming to a boil, whisk together molasses, sugar, sour cream, grated ginger and vanilla in another bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Slowly stream in oil, while whisking constantly. Remove tea bags from boiling tea, squeezing out any liquid. Slowly pour hot tea into wet ingredients, while whisking constantly.
- Mix wet & dry: Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients in 2-3 additions. Incorporate fully, but do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
- Bake: Bake on the center rack of the oven for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cake is springy to the touch.
- Cool: Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake, and invert onto a plate. Peel away parchment paper, and invert onto another plate, so the cake is top-side-up.
- Make frosting: Whip heavy cream on high-speed in a standing mixer, using the whisk attachment, for about 1-1 ½ minutes, or until soft peaks form. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Add cream cheese and butter to the mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment, whip together until smooth. Add honey, vanilla and salt, and blend until well-combined. Add powdered sugar in 2-3 additions, and mix on low-speed until incorporated. Remove bowl from the mixer. Gently fold whipped cream into the frosting base, in 3 additions, until combined. Transfer to the fridge until ready use.
- Frost cake: Use an offset spatula and frost the top, leaving the sides bare, if desired. Sprinkle chopped pecans around the rim of the cake. Enjoy.
Notes
- You will need about 4-5 inches of fresh ginger to yield 2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of cake
- Calories: 393
- Sugar: 31g
- Sodium: 276mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Protein: 4g