GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH SNOW SUGAR

Gingerbread Cake with Snow Sugar image

I love a gingerbread house, but a gingerbread cake has all the flavors of the holiday season packed into one perfect moist dessert. Snow Sugar is a perfect topping to go with this cake - the coconut oil helps the sugar keep from melting into the surface of the cake (as powdered sugar sometimes can) so that it really has a beautiful snowy effect.

Provided by Carla Hall

Time 1h30m

Yield two 9-inch loaf cakes

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pans
3 large eggs plus 2 yolks, at room temperature
2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup candied ginger, diced (about 3.75 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ounce refined coconut oil, melted and cooled (about 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon when solid)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the bottoms and sides of two 9-by-3-inch loaf pans with oil. Line the bottoms with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides, then brush the paper with oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, molasses and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk with 1/3 cup of hot water.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Add the brown sugar and mix very well. Add the butter and oil and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture and stir until incorporated, then whisk in the buttermilk mixture until smooth, scraping around the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans, then sprinkle half the candied ginger on top of each cake. Bake until the cakes feel bouncy and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes, being sure to peel off the parchment paper, and cool completely on the rack, right-side up.
When ready to serve, place a gingerbread cake on a serving platter, then sift 1/2 cup of the Snow Sugar in a sieve over the top of the cake until dusted.
Place the sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the coconut oil while whisking until the mixture comes together; it may clump together slightly but should redistribute fairly evenly to look like coarse breadcrumbs. If you are going to use the snow sugar immediately, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the coconut oil to solidify; it can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. When you are ready to use, break up any large clumps, then place the snow sugar in a fine sieve and press lightly on the sugar to sift over the top of the cake to create a snowy effect.