Ginger Molasses Cake

The first recipe I posted here was a slight adaptation of a ginger sour cream bundt cake with ginger-infused strawberries.  My latest favorite ginger cake uses molasses and is a slight adaptation of David Leibovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake. My version replaces 1/2 the oil with homemade applesauce, replaces some of the white flour with coconut flour, replaces the sugar with a stevia baking blend.  The gingered strawberries from my original recipe are replaced with a strawberry-ginger jam that is used as frosting.
Because this recipe uses so much molasses, it also calls for baking soda dissolved in boiling water to counteract the acidity of the molasses.  Molasses is less sweet and has more vitamins and minerals than pure cane sugar.

The easiest method to grate ginger is to freeze it and then send through a food processor. It works even unfrozen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9x 3 round pan, or a 8inch square pan or a heart shaped pan.  There may be too much batter for the last 2 options, so be prepared to make a cupcake or two.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar in the pan.

Sift together:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 to 1/2 ground black pepper

Mix together:

• 3/4-1 cup mild molasses (DL's recipe called for 1 cup)
• 1/4 c Truvia Baking Blend (stevia and sugar mix) 
• 1/4 cup Truvia = 1/2 c sugar. (DL's recipe called for 1 cup sugar) I added a few Tablespoons of ginger sugar (fell off the candied ginger) 
• 1/2 cup peanut oil 
• 1/2 cup applesauce 
• 4 oz grated ginger 
• 2 eggs, room temperature

Add baking soda to boiling water and then add it to the molasses mixture.

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp baking soda

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed lightly or inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Serve with gingered strawberry jam and greek or plain yogurt.

Note: the heart shape cake pictured is actually a more traditional ginger cake I baked for Phil's parents with less molasses, which is why it is lighter in color than the slices on the left.  I forgot to take a picture of the whole molasses cake both times I made it.  The first time I baked it in a square pan and Phil and I ate the whole thing ourselves!  The second time I baked it in a heart-shaped pan and brought it to work on Valentine's Day.  There was too much batter to fit, so the extra made 3 cupcakes which was just the right amount for two people.

Smoky Orange Chili with sweet potato, beans, beef

While experimenting with the recently purchased smoked paprika and dried chipotle chili peppers, and  trying to empty the cupboards and freezer of ingredients that needed to be used, I came up with this unique chili.  Adding orange zest and corn balanced the smokiness of the paprika and chipotle that I am not quite used to yet.

Saute: 1 pound ground beef in large pot. Remove cooked beef and and sauté:

Large red onion, diced

2 red or green peppers, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

Add spices:

1 T chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 dried chipotle pepper, seeds removed, diced

Add: 

Large sweet potato, diced.  

Red kidney beans, a very large can and a small can (about 40 oz and 15 oz), rinsed and drained.

Tomatoes, 1 qt of home-canned tomatoes and 1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes.

Add the cooked ground beef back into the pot.

The Correctors: Orange Zest and Corn

After simmering for a while, I decided it had too much of a smoky flavor for my taste.  There was 1 small orange wasting away in the bin. I added the zest and juice from the little orange to the chili and simmered it for about 30 minutes more.  

Add 2 cups frozen corn and simmer until heated through, about 15 minutes more. Let it sit for a little while. 

The orange zest and the sweetness of the corn mellowed out the smokiness. I liked it even better the next day.