Classic Gingerbread Cake

Name: Classic Gingerbread Cake
Yield: Serves 8 to 10 (Makes one 8-inch square cake)
Ingredients: 3/4 cup, stout (see note); 1/2 teaspoon, baking soda; 2/3 cup, mild molasses; 3/4 cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams), packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams), granulated sugar; 1 1/2 cups (7½ ounces/213 grams), unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pan; 2 tablespoons, ground ginger (see note); 1/2 teaspoon, baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon, table salt; 1/4 teaspoon, ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon, finely ground black pepper; 2 large, eggs; 1/3 cup, vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon, finely grated fresh ginger

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2011, America's Test Kitchen TV

This snack cake's moist, tender crumb typically comes at a price: a gummy, sunken center. And we wanted the glut of extraneous spices gone, too.

SERVES 8 to 10 (Makes one 8-inch square cake)

TIME 1¼ hours, plus 1½ hours resting

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