MK Gold Bakery Rye Ginger Cake

From the story Baking Up a Sweet Career From Scratch by Samantha Nobles-Block

Deep, dark, rich, and spicy with the heat of ginger. Use the darkest organic molasses and brown sugar you can find.

Yields one 9-inch cake

½ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup grapeseed oil or rice bran oil
1 cup dark molasses
Zest of 1 orange
2 cups dark rye flour
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup of hot water
2 eggs
1 ounce candied ginger, finely chopped
Buttermilk Drizzle (below) and/or whipped cream or crème fraîche for serving

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch diameter, 3-inch deep springform pan and cut a parchment circle to fit the bottom.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, oil, molasses, and orange zest. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, spices, salt, pepper, and baking soda.

In a blender or food processor, purée the chopped fresh ginger with ½ cup hot water, adding the other ½ cup as you go. Add this to the sugar mixture and mix well. Sift the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined. Add the eggs, whisking until blended. Fold in the chopped candied ginger.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing the springform pan ring.

Serve with lightly whipped cream, crème fraîche, or the buttermilk drizzle below.

Buttermilk Drizzle

1 tablespoon buttermilk
½ cup powdered sugar

Mix buttermilk into powdered sugar until you have a thin glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cake.