1cupplus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring the molds(5 ounces)
2teaspoonsground ginger
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
a few grinds of black pepper
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonsalt
1stickunsalted butter, at room temperature(4 ounces)
3/4cupsugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
1large egg
3tablespoonsmolasses (I used unsulphured)(2 ounces)
1cupGerman doppelbock beer (see headnote)
5-6medium, ripe but firm plums, halved, pitted, each half cut into 3-4 wedges
Instructions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ยบ. Butter a 9" springform pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, spices, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until lightened and fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses. Add a third of the flour mixture, mixing on low to just combine, then mix in half of the beer. Continue like this until all the flour and beer are added, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand to make sure it is homogenous.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Arrange the plum wedges in concentric circles over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Bake the cake until a tester inserted into a cakey (not plummpart comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Let the cake cool slightly, run a thin knife or offset spatula around the sides of the cake, then release the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool until warm; it's still baking from residual heat. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with ample whipped cream.
The cake is best the day it's baked, but will keep for up to a few days at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
Adapted from Lucy Baker's The Boozy Baker.If you can't find doppelbock, Lucy says you can use another dark beer, such as porter or stout instead.Be sure to serve this cake with a generous billow of lightly sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla.All ounce measurements here are by weight.