TOPPING
1/4 c Unsalted butter; (1/2 stick)
2/3 c Golden brown sugar; (packed)
2 cn Pineapple chunks in heavy
-syrup; drained, patted dry
; with paper towels
; (20-ounce)
–CAKE–
2 c All purpose flour
1 tb Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 ts Ground ginger
1 ts Ground cinnamon
1 ts Baking soda
3/4 ts Salt
1/2 ts Ground nutmeg
1/2 ts Ground cloves
3/4 c Mild-flavored; (light)
-molasses
1/2 c Golden brown sugar; (packed)
1/2 c Unsalted butter; melted (1
-stick)
2 lg Eggs
1 ts Vanilla extract
3/4 c Whole milk
2 tb Minced crystallized ginger
1 c Whipping cream; beaten to
-soft
; peaks
For topping: Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 1/4 cup butter in 10-inch-diameter
cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably nonstick)
over medium heat. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar and stir until mixture begins to
form thick mass, about 4 minutes. Continue cooking, without stirring, until
butter mixture spreads and covers bottom of skillet and bubbles appear all
over surface, about 6 minutes longer. Remove skillet from heat. Arrange
pineapple chunks close together in concentric circles atop sugar mixture in
skillet.
For cake: Sift first 8 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer,
beat molasses, golden brown sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract
in large bowl until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add half of dry
ingredients, then whole milk, then remaining half of dry ingredients,
beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in crystallized
ginger. Spread batter evenly over pineapple in skillet.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40
minutes. Cool cake in skillet 5 minutes. Run small knife around sides of
skillet to loosen cake. Place platter over cake in skillet; invert cake
onto platter. Cool cake at least 1 hour. Serve slightly warm or at room
temperature with whipped cream.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Yields
1 servings
