Gingerbread Cake with Cacao Nibs

I had my second cup of coffee when I write this blog post. It was very quiet outside, it seems the whole Jakarta still asleep after stayed up all night long. Last night I didn’t celebrate New Year’s Eve, just like last year and a few years earlier. 

Not that I hate, I just can’t find the benefits of New Year’s Eve celebration.Rather than partying all night I prefer to get up early and do something useful at the beginning of this year.Delicious cake with a cup of coffee, soothing music and a good book can be a good beginning for me.

Start a new year with sweet treats and peaceful morning is like a ritual for me. At first, I want to make Sticky Toffee Pudding. But then I think I want my 2017 not only delicious and sweet, but I also want a punch of flavours.

Gingerbread Cake with Cacao Nibs

This gingerbread cake with cacao nibs recipe inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Guinness Gingerbread recipe. But I don’t have treacle or molasses at the time so I replaced it with dark honey. To give it some extra kick I add fresh ginger, while candied ginger and cacao nibs give some crunchy texture.

Ingredients

• 260 gr all-purpose flour
• 113 gr butter
• 340 gr honey (preferably dark honey)
• 220 gr brown sugar
• 118 ml water
• 10 gr fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 15 gr candied ginger, minced
• 30 gr cacao nib
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 287 gr sour cream
• 2 eggs

Method

• Preheat oven to 325 F and place rack in centre of oven. Butter and lightly flour 9×9 baking dish.
• Put the butter, honey, brown sugar, and water in a medium saucepot. Melt gently over medium heat. Once the butter is melted take the pot off the heat, and let it cool slightly.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside
• Whisk the eggs and sour cream together in a measuring jug. Once the honey mixture reach room temperature adds the dry ingredients (in three addition) alternately with the eggs mixture. Beat until no lumps.
• Stir in candied ginger, and cacao nibs, mix just until combine. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let it cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• White chocolate & ginger glaze: put the chopped white chocolate and ground ginger in a double boiler. Let it melt on a medium heat, stir until smooth. Pour the glaze onto the centre of the cake and spread with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with cacao nibs or chopped walnuts.