Brown Sugar–Ginger Cream Cake

Name: Brown Sugar–Ginger Cream Cake
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0.75 cup all-purpose flour; 0.75 cup cake flour; 1.5 tsp baking powder; 0.25 tsp salt; 2 eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 cup maple sugar, dark muscovado, or organic dark brown sugar; 1.5 tsp ground ginger; 0.13 tsp freshly ground pepper; 1 tsp vanilla extract

From the kitchen of Carly

A tender, spiced loaf cake built on brown sugar's deep molasses notes and brightened by ginger and black pepper. Whipped eggs and cream create a delicate crumb that stays moist for days. Simple enough for weeknight baking, special enough for company.

A streamlined butter cake built on whipped eggs and cream instead of the usual shortening method. The brown sugar dissolves into the batter while ground ginger and pepper slip in without fanfare, creating a tender crumb with warmth and spice you won't immediately name. It's sophisticated enough for company, honest enough for breakfast.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

3/4 cupall-purpose flour
3/4 cupcake flour
1 1/2 tspbaking powder
1/4 tspsalt
2eggs, at room temperature
1 cupheavy cream
1 cupmaple sugar, dark muscovado, or organic dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tspground ginger
1/8 tspfreshly ground pepper
1 tspvanilla extract

Instructions

Butter and flour a loaf pan or an 8-inch springform pan. If you're going with the loaf pan, press a strip of parchment across the bottom and up both ends. Set the oven to 350°F.
Into a large bowl, sift together both flours, the baking powder, and the salt, then whisk to combine. Hollow out a well in the center.
Fit your electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat the eggs until foamy. Pour in the cream, sugar, ginger, pepper, and vanilla, then keep beating until the mixture resembles soft whipped cream. Note: if you're using maple sugar, the cream may stay looser than expected, but the cake bakes up fine regardless. Pour everything into the flour well and whisk just until the batter is smooth and lump-free, then scrape it into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Allow the cake to rest in the pan for 15 minutes before unclipping the springform rim or turning the loaf out and peeling away the parchment. Let it cool fully before slicing.

Tips from the kitchen

Dark muscovado or dark brown sugar is your best bet here. Maple sugar won't whip up the same way, so don't panic if your mixture looks thinner than you expect. The cake rises on the strength of the eggs and baking powder, not on air alone.
Room temperature eggs are non-negotiable. Cold eggs won't whip properly, and you need that volume. Pull them out 20 minutes before you start.
A cake tester should slide out cleanly, but this cake errs slightly moist in the crumb. If you see wet batter, bake another few minutes. If it's just glossy, you're there.

Variations

Swap the ginger for cardamom and add a pinch of clove. Works beautifully.
Use half light brown sugar and half demerara for a crunchy, caramelized top that catches the oven light.
Replace the vanilla with a teaspoon of bourbon or rye. Adds a subtle bite that amplifies the spice.
Dust the cooled cake with fleur de sel. The salt makes the brown sugar taste even deeper.

Make ahead and storage

Keep wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The texture firms up cold, so slice straight from the fridge for clean cuts. Not freezer-friendly due to the cream base.