CRUNCH TOPPING
1 c Pecans; toasted and chopped
; fine
1/2 c Gingersnap cookie crumbs;
-(from about eight
; 2-inch gingersnaps)
1/2 c Firmly packed light brown
-sugar
1/2 Stick unsalted butter;
-melted (1/4 cup)
-GINGER CAKE-
1 3/4 c All-purpose flour
3/4 ts Baking soda
3/4 ts Ground ginger
3/4 ts Cinnamon
3/4 ts Salt
3/4 c Unsulfured molasses
2/3 c Buttermilk
1/3 c Granulated sugar
3/4 Stick unsalted butter;
-softened (6
; tablespoons)
1 lg Egg; beaten lightly
3 c Well-chilled heavy cream
1 ts Vanilla
4 tb Granulated sugar
1 pt Strawberries
1 tb Fresh lemon juice
Garnish: strawberries; with
-leaves and
; blossoms if desired
; (not recommended
; for eating)
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 8- by 2-inch cake pans.
For crunch topping:
In a small bowl combine crunch topping ingredients, stirring until
combined. Divide topping among pans and press evenly onto bottom.
For ginger cake:
In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and
salt. Add remaining ginger cake ingredients and with an electric mixer beat
on high speed 2 minutes. Carefully spread batter over crunch topping in
pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans
in oven halfway through baking, 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in
center of each layer comes out clean.
Immediately invert cake layers onto racks lined with wax paper and cool
completely. Cake layers may be made 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped
separately in plastic wrap. Thaw layers in refrigerator before proceeding
with recipe.
In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters of an electric mixer beat 2 cups
cream with vanilla and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until it just holds
stiff peaks.
Cake Assembly:
Arrange 1 cake layer, crunch side up, on a cake plate and spread with a
heaping cup whipped cream. Repeat with another cake layer and another
heaping cup whipped cream and top with third cake layer, crunch side up.
Leaving top plain, spread remaining whipped cream on side of cake to coat
(a final coating will be added later). Chill cake, covered loosely with
plastic wrap, at least 4 hours (to facilitate slicing) and up to 24.
Hull strawberries and slice half of them. In a bowl with a potato masher
mash sliced berries with lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated
sugar. In a food processor puree remaining berries and strain through a
fine sieve into bowl with mashed berry mixture. Sauce may be made 1 day
ahead and chilled, covered.
In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters of an electric mixer, beat remaining
cup cream until it just holds stiff peaks and spread decoratively on side
of cake. Arrange some whole strawberries on top of cake and garnish plate
with additional whole strawberries.
Serve cake with strawberry sauce.
Makes 1 Cake.
Yields
1 servings
