Author Notes: This long list of ingredients adds up to a fast and easy cake that’s festive and wintry. Sprinkle with white sugar and silver dragees to decorate for fun.
—tw
Serves: 12
Ingredients
Cake
-
3 1/4
cups flour, sifted and divided, plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for dusting
-
1/2
cup currants
-
3
tablespoons cognac or brandy
-
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
-
2
teaspoons grated fresh ginger
-
1 1/2
cups packed dark brown sugar
-
1
cup margarine or Earth Balance buttery spread, room temperature
-
6
large eggs
-
1/2
cup vanilla soy or coconut creamer
-
1 1/2
teaspoons cider vinegar
-
1
tablespoon molasses
-
2
teaspoons baking powder
-
1 1/2
tablespoons ground roasted cinnamon
-
1
teaspoon ground allspice
-
1/2
teaspoon ground nutmeg
-
1/2
teaspoon ground cloves
-
1/2
teaspoon ground anise
-
1/2
teaspoon salt
-
1/2
teaspoon ground white pepper
Glaze
-
2
cups confectioner’s sugar
-
4
tablespoons soy or coconut creamer, add more as needed
-
1/4
teaspoon ground dried ginger
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a large kugelhopf or bundt pan with nonstick spray and dust with two tablespoons flour. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix the currants, cognac, vanilla extract, and freshly grated ginger.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter until light, about 1½ minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Combine the soy creamer and cider vinegar in a small bowl and let stand until curdled. Slowly mix into the egg mixture until combined, then add the molasses.
- Toss ¼ cup cake flour with the soaking currants until combined. Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, anise, salt, and pepper onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg and butter mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Once combined, fold in the currant mixture.
- Pour into the prepared pan and cook until the top is toasty brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. The cake will continue to cook a bit as it cools in the pan, so make sure it is slightly less cooked than an average cake.
- Once the cake is cool to the touch, flip onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, cream, and ground ginger and drizzle liberally over the inverted cake, letting it drip into each ridge. While the glaze is still wet, decorate with dragees and finishing sugar.