The Solstice is officially two weeks away, however here in Waitsburg it already feels like a winter wonderland. A fresh blanket of snow over the festive lights and decorated trees along Main Street was the perfect backdrop for our Hometown Christmas parade last weekend. In the kitchen, this is the season of cooking comforting and warm food to share with loved ones. One of my favorite flavors for sharing this time of year is gingerbread, which is a broad category of sweets from thin, crisp cookies to thick cakes. Here, raw sugar creates a crunchy crust around a rich and moist cake. Robustly spiced with familiar baking spices, the addition of fresh grated ginger, black pepper, and aromatic stout beer creates a memorable twist on a holiday classic. Perfect for your next family feast, or holiday open-house.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

½ cup raw (demerara) sugar

1 cup stout beer

1 cup molasses

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 ½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 ½ tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup canola oil

Confectioners sugar for dusting top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a Bundt pan with the soft butter. Coat the entire pan with the raw sugar, turning pan to evenly coat over all the butter. Turn pan over and dump out any excess sugar. Set it aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the stout and molasses, then bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the baking soda. Use caution as the hot stout mixture will bubble up. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, ground spices, pepper, and salt. Set it aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand-mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the fresh ginger, candied ginger, eggs, vanilla, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for five minutes. The mixture will be light and creamy. Next, turn the mixer speed down to low and slowly pour in the oil. Mix for another five minutes. Then, slowly add the stout mixture and continue to mix for another 5 minutes.

In two batches, carefully add the dry ingredients, mixing well in between each addition. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and make sure all the dry ingredients get incorporated into the mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Place the cake in the center rack of hot oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Depending on your oven it could take as little as 45 to 50 minutes. Keep a close eye and start testing for doneness after 45 minutes. The cake will be very dark.

Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, then flip upside down to release while cake is still warm. If it is stuck, place back in hot oven for a couple minutes to loosen the sugar crust. When completely cool, dust the top with powdered sugar.

Notes:

If you don't have any candied ginger just substitute with more fresh grated ginger. Pick a high-quality stout beer, and sip on the leftover from the bottle while the cake is baking.

Serve slightly warm, or at room temperature with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Lovely after a holiday meal with coffee or after-dinner libations. Enjoy!