ginger x 4

It’s been raining here in Arizona all week. Yesterday and this morning have been especially harsh; flooding, high winds, closed airports, several feet of snow up north, (plus a leaking roof for me!) – just crazy stuff for our dry desert state!

This weather makes me want to bake and the chilliness and dark skies make pumpkin and spices seem like the perfect thing to pop in the oven. I was planning to make a regular Bundt cake, but while digging through the cake pans, I found my mini-rose-shaped Bundt pan. These pretty little cuties bring a little warmth and sunshine to an otherwise cold and rainy day.

Quadruple Ginger and Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt Cake

1 cup ginger ale
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup finely minced candied ginger
1 tablespoon peeled and finely minced or grated fresh ginger root
Cinnamon Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup milk or cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a Bundt pan or a pan with 12 mini Bundts.

Mix together the ginger ale and molasses in a medium saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, immediately remove from heat and whisk in the baking soda. Be warned, it will foam up. Set aside while the foam subsides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated and brown sugars, oil, pumpkin, candied ginger, and fresh ginger root.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Add the warm molasses mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients, stirring after each addition just until combined.

Pour the batter into a standard Bundt pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Or into the 12 holes of mini Bundts, (about 3/4 full) baking for 28 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing. If making the mini Bundts, after cooling and removing cakes, refill and bake the second batch of 12 cakes.

Glaze: Place powdered sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl, whisk to blend, add milk, and stir until the glaze is smooth and creamy. Add a little more sugar or milk as necessary to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over the top of the cake(s).

Makes 1 cake to serve 12 or 24 mini cakes