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March 11, 2010

On the Cover

Ginger Olive Oil Cake with Poached Asian Pears and Spiced Caramel Sauce

Ginger Olive Oil Cake

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground clove
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup molasses
1 packed tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 ¼ cups whole milk
Poached Asian Pears (recipe below)
Spiced Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-inch cake pan, line bottom with parchment paper. Combine first 8 ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk eggs and sugar until light and lemon colored. Whisk in molasses, fresh ginger and crystallized ginger until incorporated. In a steady stream whisk in olive oil then milk. Fold in dry mixture and blend until fully incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes until deep golden brown and a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool at least 30 minutes. Loosen sides with a knife and invert on a serving plate. Can be made ahead one day, wrapped in plastic and stored in refrigerator. Bring to room-temperature or warm in a low-heat oven before serving. Serve with poached pears and caramel sauce or whipped crème fraiche.

 

Poached Asian Pears

2 lemons
1 750ml bottle dry white wine
4 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 stalk fresh lemon grass, chopped
1 tablespoon whole pink peppercorns
6 Asian pears

Remove zest from lemons with a vegetable peeler. Squeeze juice from lemons. Combine next 6 ingredients in a 6-quart pot. Peel, halve and core pears, and add to pot. Simmer pears about 50 to 55 minutes or until tender. Let cool in liquid.

Can be made 2 days before serving. Store pears covered in their poaching liquid in refrigerator.

Spiced Caramel Sauce

¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 whole clove
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole anise stars
4 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns
2 tablespoons butter

In a small saucepan combine cream with spices, heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat and let steep at room temperature for half an hour. Strain cream through fine mesh sieve. Reserve.

Put sugar in a heavy saucepan and drizzle with lemon juice. Heat over medium heat until sugar starts to melt. Carefully swirl pan until all sugar is melted and turns a deep golden brown. Carefully pour in reserved cream (mixture will bubble). Place over low heat and whisk until caramel is dissolved. Add butter and whisk until melted. Let cool a bit before using.

Can be made 2 days before serving. Store tightly wrapped in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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