Happy Crunching! A Ginger Pecan Crunch Cake

For all my talk of eating healthy,

there has been entirely too much cake

around here this last week.

All I can say is that is was made with love

{ahhh, isn't that sweet!},

tasted pretty darn good,

and it was a special occasion!

The cake I made for hubby's post-real-b'day celebration is one that I first tried like 14 years ago...way before I actually enjoyed baking. I did have a little {cook} book habit back then {and still do}, so I really did own some amazing books with some amazing recipes...but they all looked scary. Anyway, my other obstacle was that back in those days, there was never eggs or butter or flour in the house, so when I wanted to {had to} bake something, I would have to go out and buy EVERYTHING! Those were some expensive cakes and cookies. OK, enough of my rambling...here is what you are waiting for!

Ginger Crunch Cake with Strawberry Sauce

Adapted from The Best of Gourmet: 1996 {I made a few minor changes}.

INGREDIENTS

Crunch Topping
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine

1/2 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 8 cookies worth)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Ginger Cake

1 3/4 all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp cinnamon {I added another 1 tsp...we LOVE cinnamon}

3/4 tsp salt {sea salt}

3/4 cup unsulfured molasses

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 stick (6 TBLSPN) unslated butter softened

1 large egg, beaten lightly

Whipped Cream "Frosting"

3 cups well-chilled heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 TBLSPN sugar

Strawberry Sauce

{I actually had homemade strawberry sauced on hand that I had canned in the summer, so I didn't make this...then I forgot about it and no one missed it, so you can skip the sauce if you'd like!}

1 pint strawberries

1 TBLSPN fresh lemon juice

2 TBLSPN sugar

DIRECTIONS

-Preheat oven to 350 F

-Grease/Butter 3 8" x 2" round cake pans

Crunch Topping:

-Combine topping ingredients, stirring until everything is combined.

-Divide toppings evenly among the three pans and press into pan.

Cake:

-In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt.

-Add the remaining cake ingredients and with an electric mixer beat on high speed for 2 minutes.

-Carefully spread batter over topping in the 3 pans.

-Bake in the lower and upper two-thirds of the oven switching positions halfway through.

-Bake 20 minutes in all, or until a tester comes out clean {OK, here is where I went "Huh?"  I switched my cake sat about 15 minutes and they were nowhere near being done. I checked again at 20 and they were still not done - no surprise - I left them in for a total of about 30 minutes...JUST CHECK!}

-Immediately invert cake layers onto racks lined with wax paper {I did not do this, I just let them cool for about 15 minute sand then inverted}.

-Cool completely.

"Frosting":

-In a chilled both with chilled beaters {I did not chill}, beat 3 cups of cream with vanilla and 2 TBLSPN sugar.

-Beat until it holds stiff peaks.

Cake Assembly:

-Arrange one layer crunch side up on a platter {or pretty plate!}.

-Spread whip cream on the layer, evenly. I used about 1/2 to 3/4 cups.

-Position second layer of cake, add whip cream layer.

-Position third layer.

-Leave top plain {the recipe states this, but I whip-creamed my entire cake}.

-Spread/"Frost" the sides odf the cake with the whip cream.

-Chill wrapped ( cover loosely in plastic wrap) cake for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Strawberry Sauce*:

-Hull strawberries and slice them in half.

-In a bowl with a potato masher, mash the berries with the lemon juice and 2 TBLSPN sugar.

-In a food processor puree berries and then strain.

May be made up to one day ahead

*If I would have made this, I would have probably cooked the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar for about 30 minutes and served the sauce with "chunkier" pieces of fruit.

Garnish with a few strawberries - whole or sliced -

and serve cake with strawberry sauce and enjoy!
Oh...and please notice my super-FAB cake stand...
a glass platter {the top of a broken cake stand, boo-hoo!}
set atop an upside-down trifle bowl.
I picked a few camellias from the garden
and set it all on a silver tray...
TRES CUTE, eh!

Hope everyone is having a good week...

I am taking it easy here {or at least trying to},

hence the fewer posts...

but I am recharging!

Happy crunching!

Holly