Ginger Cake with Wine-Poached Pears
 
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
  • Wine-Poached Pears (recipe follows)
  • Butterscotch Sauce (recipe follows)
  • Chocolate-Covered Walnuts (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8x3-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, and spray again.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sour cream with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add brown sugar, beating until mixture is fluffy. Beat in molasses. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until mixture is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour, covering cake with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Top cake with Wine-Poached Pears, drizzle with Butterscotch Sauce, and sprinkle with Chocolate-Covered Walnuts.
Recipe by Victoria at https://victoriamag.com/ginger-cake-wine-poached-pears-recipe/