African Ginger Cake Recipes

AFRICAN GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl.
• Rub in the fat thoroughly.
• Add the liquid and mix to a firm dough.
• Roll out on a floured board about 3/8 inch thick.
• Cut into rounds.
• Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

SOUTH AFRICAN KOEKSISTERS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, water, ginger, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Cool syrup to room temperature, transfer to a container, and refrigerate until flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until mixture has a cornmeal texture. Add the milk; mix until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 5x14-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into twenty eight 1/2-inch wide strips. Twist pairs of strips together and pinch the ends together. Repeat for all of the strips. Cover strips with a clean cloth and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat about 2-inches of oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.
• Pour some of the cold syrup into a bowl and return remaining syrup to the refrigerator.
• Working in batches, fry koeksister twists in hot oil until twists swell and are golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove koeksisters from hot oil with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse in cold syrup for 10 seconds. Transfer soaked koeksisters to prepared wire rack to cool. Replenish cold syrup as necessary.

APRIL BLOOMFIELD'S GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack set in the center. Generously butter an 8-inch round, 3-inch high springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper and place on baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a small saucepan, stir together boiling water, molasses, and baking soda until molasses has completely dissolved.
• Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to medium-low and add egg; mix until combined. Add grated ginger and mix to combine.
• Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the molasses mixture, scraping down sides as necessary. Batter will be very wet. Pour batter into prepared pan and transfer to oven. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly before removing ring from springform pan; serve warm.

WEST AFRICAN LIME CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; beat in eggs and lime juice. Stir flour and baking powder into butter mixture until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven until brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Garnish with chopped peanuts.