Armenian Gingerbread Cake - SRC

'Tis the season!  I absolutely love this time of year when Christmastime is coming.  Time to decorate, spend time with family, and, if you're a fellow food blogger, then you know it's also time to start baking with flavors like peppermint and gingerbread.  And that's exactly the reason why I decided to choose Easily Good Eats' Armenian Gingerbread Cake for this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment.

In case you didn't know, the Secret Recipe Club is a super fun group.  Each month, we get assigned to someone else's blog, get to choose a recipe from it, and then post about it.  It's a great way to get to know some new foodie friends and try some amazing dishes.  Some of my absolute favorite, make again and again, recipes have come from this group.

For this month, I got assigned to Easily Good Eats.  I was amazed to find out that we both have something in common - i.e. a background in law.  Of course, she also enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends.  In browsing through her blog, I still have my eye on her Swedish Almond Cake, and her Thousand Layer Chocolate Cake. 

But, I am still incredibly glad that I chose the Armenian Gingerbread Cake.  The neat thing is that it actually has TWO layers to it.  The bottom layer is a crust of crumbs, made from the same cake mixture, and the other half is the cake itself.  In making it, I did make one mistake.  I think I got a little too excited and added the spices into the first half before I realized it.  So, I "fixed" the mistake by adding more spices into the top cake batter layer.

In my opinion, though, you can never have too much spice, so it actually all worked out because that crust was so incredibly good.  I could and did eat some of it all by itself.  Paired with the cake, you've got a combination that can't be beat.  I loved the contrast in textures and the taste was sweet and spicy, but not overpowering in the slightest.  I highly recommend waiting until the next day to eat this cake.  I know, I know, difficult.  But, the flavors will intensify if you let the cake sit for a while and it will be worth the wait.  Mmmm, it already smells and tastes like Christmas in my house!  

Armenian Gingerbread Cake (adapted from Easily Good Eats)

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ginger powder 

1 egg
1 Tbsp. molasses (I used dark corn syrup)
3/4 c. milk (I used half Greek yogurt + half water)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger powder

Combine the dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it has the texture of breadcrumbs.  Press half the mixture into a 9-inch round baking pan (about 2 1/2 cups of the mixture). 

Combine the egg, milk, corn syrup, baking soda, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. ginger powder.  Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour into the pan on top of the crust mixture and bake at 350F for 40-45 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean.



 

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