Chinese Five Spice Ginger Cake Recipes

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, ginger, baking powder, orange zest, baking powder, five-spice, and salt together.
• Mix applesauce and tea together in a separate bowl.
• Beat eggs with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very fluffy and light. Pour in oil gradually and beat on medium speed until combined. Alternate adding the flour and applesauce mixtures, mixing just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Place a wire rack over the cake pan and flip to release cake onto the rack. Let cool completely, at least 45 minutes.
• Cut parchment paper into any shapes you like to act as stencils. Brush lightly with water and stick them over the surface of the cake. Gently sprinkle turmeric around the shapes. Carefully lift up stencils.

ASIAN FIVE-SPICE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.
• Put chocolates in a large shallow bowl. Bring water, 1/2 cup sugar, and spice to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then pour through a fine sieve set over chocolates. Stir until smooth, then stir in butter until smooth.
• Beat eggs with remaining 3/4 cup sugar until increased in volume and pale and beaters leave a distinct trail (4 to 5 minutes in a standing mixer or 15 to 20 with a hand-held). Stir 1/4 of eggs into chocolate to lighten and fold in remainder gently but thoroughly (fold 1 to 2 minutes).
• Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Put pan in a water bath and bake in middle of oven 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering. Remove from water bath and cool 2 hours in pan on a rack.
• Unmold cake by running a thin knife around edge, then heating pan 5 to 10 seconds on burner set at moderately low. Invert cake plate over pan and flip cake onto plate. (If cake sticks, tap bottom of pan with a knife handle. If that doesn't work, heat pan again.) Peel off paper.
• Serve cake in thin slices.