Author Notes
Gingerbread Porter Cake with Cacao Nibs
February 13, 2016
A dark trifecta of molasses, porter and cacao. Not your sweet, holiday gingerbread cake - this is deep and dark with complex flavors of cocoa, spice and toasty porter. The raw cacao nibs give it texture and a satisfying crunch (with the added benefit of being very good for you). I used our local Fiddlehead Hodad Porter, which is dark and a little chocolatey with notes of coconut and vanilla. ...and I remember reading somewhere that dark beer has certain health benefits as well, so let's just call this health food. —Seasons in Vermont
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
10 tablespoons
salted butter
-
1 cup
dark molasses
-
1 cup
dark brown sugar, packed
-
1 cup
dark porter beer
-
2 cups
cake flour
-
2 teaspoons
baking soda
-
Dash
salt
-
2 teaspoons
unsweetened cocoa powder
-
2 teaspoons
ground ginger
-
2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
-
1/4 teaspoon
ground cloves
-
1 cup
sour cream
-
2
eggs, beaten
-
1/3 + cups
raw cacao nibs*
Directions
-
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the molasses, brown sugar and beer and heat until sugar is melted and mixture is smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
-
Pour the melted butter and molasses mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sour cream and then whisk in the eggs. Fold in 1/3 cup of the raw cacao nibs.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons cacao nibs on top. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool, then unmold.
-
Raw cacao nibs are made from organic cacao beans that have been peeled and chopped. They're not sweet, but have an intense cocoa flavor with a tiny hint of bitterness (in a good way). They're addictive. Luckily, they're also really healthy for you- considered a superfood high in iron, fiber and antioxidents.
See what other Food52ers are saying.