THE GREAT AMERICAN CAKE | 1, 2, 3, 4

GRAMERCY TAVERN GINGERBREAD The use a leavening in a cake is first recorded in a recipe for gingerbread from Amelia Simmons's American Cookery, published in Hartford in 1796; I guess you could say it is the original great American cake. Early 19th-century cookbooks included as many recipes for this as contemporary cookbooks do for chocolate cake. This recipe, from Claudia Fleming, pastry chef at New York's Gramercy Tavern, is superlative - wonderfully moist and spicy. 1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout 1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of ground cardamom 3 large eggs 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Unsweetened whipped cream (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Serve cake, dusted with confectioners' sugar, with whipped cream.

Serves 8 to 10.

COOKS' NOTES: This recipe was tested with Grandma's brand green-label molasses.

Like the chocolate decadence cake, the gingerbread is better if made a day ahead. It will keep 3 days, covered, at room temperature.

MAKE CAKE LAYERS:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Put sugar and zests in a food processor and pulse until blended well, about 30 seconds. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter in large bowl of standing electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar mixture and beat at high speed 5 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add one fourth of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Beat in milk until just blended. Beat in remaining flour mixture alternately with juices in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans and smooth tops. Bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool layers on racks 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans, then invert cakes onto racks to cool completely.

MAKE BUTTERCREAM:
Heat whites and sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved and a thermometer registers 160°F. Remove bowl from heat and beat mixture in standing electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick, glossy peaks form. If mixture is still warm, continue beating until cool.

With mixer running, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add liqueur and lemon juice, beating on high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 10 minutes. If buttercream begins to separate, beat on high speed until smooth.

ASSEMBLE CAKE:
Brush any loose crumbs from layers and put 1 upside down on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup buttercream. Place other layer on top, right side up. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream.

Serves 8.

COOKS' NOTES: Cake may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries (for serving)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put whites and water in a very clean large metal bowl and swirl over simmering water or a gas flame until barely warm. Sift together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and ginger 4 times onto a sheet of wax paper.

Beat whites in standing electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt. Increase speed to medium-high and beat just until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually beat in remaining cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, occasionally scraping down side of bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. (Do not overbeat.)

Sift one third of flour mixture over whites. Beat on low speed just until blended. Sift and beat in remaining flour in 2 more batches.

Gently pour batter into ungreased tube pan and smooth top. Run a rubber spatula or long knife through batter to eliminate any large air bubbles.

Bake cake in lower third of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove cake from oven and immediately invert pan. (if pan has "legs," stand it on those. Otherwise, place pan over neck of a bottle.) Cool cake completely, upside down.

Turn pan right side up. Run a long, thin knife around outer edge of pan with a smooth (not sawing motion). Do the same around center tube. Remove outer rim of pan and run knife under bottom of cake to release. Invert to release cake from tube, and invert again onto a serving plate.

Serve cake with whipped cream and berries.

Serves 8.

COOKS' NOTES: Angel food cake was traditionally torn apart using 2 forks or a many-pronged cake breaker to preserve its prized texture; however, gently sawing with a modern serrated knife also works well.

Cake may be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

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