Ginger Bundt Cake with Ginger-Infused Strawberries

This is a modification of a Bon Appetit recipe (april 2009).  My version has half the butter, half the sugar, 1 less egg yolk, and uses fresh ginger instead of candied ginger, light sour cream instead of regular, and adds cinnamon and cardamon.

• Softened butter (for brushing pan)
• 1/4 cup raw sugar (turbinado)
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cardamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (I might up this to 3 tsp next time)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup splenda
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup light sour cream (I might use plain low-fat yogurt next time)
• 1/2 cup finely grated raw ginger

Ginger-Infused strawberries:

• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled, halved (about 4 cups). I halved strawberries while frozen.

For Cake:
1. Preheat to 350 degrees.  Brush 10-12 cup bundt pan with soft butter and sprinkle raw sugar to stick to all side of the buttered bundt pan.
2. Whisk together flour, ground ginger and any other spices, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In electric mixer, beat butter until soft, continue to beat in sugar/sweetener, applesauce. 
4. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla.
5. Add flour mixture and sour cream in several batches on low speed.
6. Mix in grated ginger.
7. Spread batter in pan and bake about 55 minutes until tester comes out with just few small crumbs.
8. Cool up to 15 minutes in pan, use spatula around cake, remove from pan, and let finish cooling on a rack.
9. Dust powdered sugar on lightly for looks.

For Strawberries:
1. Ginger Syrup:  Combine, water, sugar, sliced ginger, and lemon juice in pan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. boil about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool to room temperature.  Do not remove ginger yet.  Can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated. 

2. If frozen, you can prepare gingered strawberries a day ahead; if fresh 2 hours before.  Place strawberries in bowl.  Strain ginger slices out of the syrup and pour the syrup over the strawberries.  Cover and chill at least an hour (if fresh), overnight if frozen or until the strawberries thaw and there is strawberry juice in the bowl.

3. Spoon strawberries and juice over cake slices so it soaks in.

4. Try to have just one serving.  The cake is really good even without the strawberries, but really delicious with the strawberries.