3 c Flour; all-purpose, sifted
1/4 ts Baking soda
6 oz Candied ginger (abt 3/4 cup)
3 1/2 oz Ginger; fresh *
8 oz Butter; unsalted (2 sticks)
2 3/4 c Sugar; granulated
6 x Eggs; large, separated
1 c Sour cream
Adjust a rack 1/3 up from bottom of oven and preheat oven to 350F.
Butter a 10×4 1/4-inch angel food tube pan (it may be a 1 piece
non-stick pan) with an 18 cup capacity; butter pan even if it has a
non-stick finish. Dust it all over with fine, dry bread crumbs,
invert over paper and shake out excess crumbs and set the pan aside.
Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside. Cut the
candied ginger into 1/4 to 1/3-inch pieces and set aside. Grate the
fresh ginger and set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer,
beat butter until soft. Gradually beat in the grated fresh ginger and
2 1/4 cups of the sugar (reserving the remaining half cup). Then,
beat in the egg yolks. On low speed, gradually add the sifted dry
ingredients in two additions, alternately with the sour cream in one
addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in half of the
diced, candied ginger (reserve the remainder). Set aside. In the
small bowl of the electric mixer (with clean beaters) beat the egg
whites until they hold a soft shape. Reduce the speed to moderate and
gradually add remaining half cup of sugar. Then increase the speed
again and beat only until the whites hold a peak when the beaters are
withdrawn. In three additions, fold the whites into the batter; with
the first 2 additions, fold only partially, don’t be too thorough and
with the last addition, do not fold more than necessary to
incorporate the whites. Turn into the prepared pan and smooth the
top. Sprinkle the reserved candied ginger on top. Bake for about 1
hour, or, until a cake tester inserted gently into the cake comes out
clean. (The cake will not rise to the top of the pan). Let the cake
cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. (The cake will sink about 1
inch as it cools). Then cover the pan with the cakeplate and,
holding the pan the plate firmly together, turn them over and remove
the pan and let the cake cool. This is a Maida Haetter recipe. *a
piece 3 to 4 inches long and about 1 inch thick
Yields
12 Servings