Welcome back for the second week of our Holiday Progressive Dinner Series. How did you enjoy the first menu? This week promises to be just as tasty.
Our fabulous sponsor this week is a company whose products I use weekly in my kitchen, Nielsen-Massey.
I was sent an amazing assortment of extracts, pure vanilla bean paste and A Century of Flavor cookbook full of delicious ideas for enjoying Nielsen-Massey products.
I am not new to the various vanillas they make. It is my preferred brand for baking. The flavors are bold and make all my treats taste their best. For extracts, I believe getting the best quality product you can find is important. It does affect how your recipe turns out and tastes.
The almond extract is perfect for a simple yellow cake as in the Texas Sheet Cake I made last month, the peppermint extract will be perfect for all my homemade holiday marshmallows, but for this week's recipe I used both the Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste and the Organic Fair trade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.
If you have the chance to try pure vanilla bean paste, you might become a convert like me. A little goes a long way and the flavor is amazing. I rarely purchase vanilla beans anymore. The paste is so much easier and faster for me to use. No scraping involved. I like to put a small amount in custards or as I whip cream.
Connect with Nielsen-Massey on their Facebook page, Twitter and Pinterest for product announcements and recipe ideas.
Nielsen-Massey fine vanillas and flavors would make a great addition to any foodie's kitchen, so keep reading and don't miss the giveaway at the end of this post.
Holiday Progressive Dinner
Week 2 Recipe Links
Crock-Pot Meatballs
at Flour on My Face
Mom's Famous Bone-In Ham
at The Gunny Sack
Pomegranate Orange Spinach Salad
at Daily Dish Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crunch Topping
at Busy-at-Home
at Adventures in All Things Food
Okay, each course I created for this series is delicious, but dessert was my favorite, of course!
My Mom always loved the deep, warm, spicy desserts. Gingersnap cookies were a favorite. I remember her love of molasses and cinnamon. Chocolate is lovely, but a deeply spicy treat is even better. For my Mom I chose to make this Gingerbread Cake. Turning them into cute little mini bundt cakes, so I didn't have to share, seemed like a fun addition. Topping them with a cinnamon vanilla bean whipped cream takes this dish to the next level.
It is probably due to my spice-filled childhood that I like my gingerbread to be deep, dark and pack a little kick. This recipe is a winner because it uses molasses, a deep oatmeal vanilla stout and fresh grated ginger.
Wowza!
The aroma of gingerbread filled my kitchen before I even started baking. The molasses and beer get warmed in a saucepan, the spices get whisked together and it all creates the perfect Winter cake.
I used a small saucepan for simmering, be forewarned the baking soda will cause the brew to bubble... stirring helps to keep it from getting out of hand, but you might want to use a taller saucepan.
I used Nielsen-Massey extract in this recipe. For some reason a bourbon vanilla extract seemed the perfect compliment to this spicy treat.
It is a pretty thin batter. I filled my mini bundt pan 1/2" from the top. If in doubt, place a baking dish below the pan in case the batter overflows the sides.
Of course, you could make one large bundt cake to cut instead. Just start checking the cake around 40 minutes. It might take up to 50 minutes for your cake tester to come out clean. Either way, bundt cakes always taste better after they sit, wrapped, for a day. Make this sweet treat a day or two in advance and the cake will be even more moist than fresh.
With all that dark, rich flavor of the gingerbread, I don't like to add a really sweet whipped cream. I kept it unsweetened, but added the cinnamon and vanilla bean paste for fun.
Ready for the recipe? As with all bundt cakes, the recipe is pretty simple. There is one extra step to boil the beer and molasses, but it is well worth it. Bundt cakes aren't meant to be fussy, just delicious.
Mini Gingerbread Bundt Cakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
You Will Need:
- 1 c. vanilla oatmeal stout
- 1 c. dark molasses
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cardamom
- 3 large eggs
- 1 c. packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 3/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp.Nielsen-Massey Organic Fair trade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 c. heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
- *optional - Gingerbread syrup (Torani's or other) to drizzle over the top
Generously grease the bundt molds, set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring the molasses and stout up to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the baking soda. Give it a minute to bubble up. Continue stirring till it stops. Let the beer mixture cool down to room temperature before adding it to the rest of the batter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and spices.
In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugars. Add in the oil and vanilla, then alternate between the beer and flour mixture till the batter is just moistened through. Do not over mix.
Fill the mini bundt molds leaving 1/2" from the top. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool enough to handle the mold before inverting.
Whip the heaving whipping cream, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste together. Drizzle the cake with a little gingerbread syrup if you wish, then top with the whipped cream and enjoy.
Giveaway Time!!
Nielsen-Massey has a prize package for one lucky reader. Enter using the rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!
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