Chocolate-Covered Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• 1.8 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda 
• 2 tablespoons plus light
• 0.3 cup candied ginger chopped
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tablespoon ginger fresh grated peeled
• 0.8 cup brown sugar packed ()
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cloves 
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger 
• 0.3 cup blackstrap molasses light ()
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 0.3 cup butter unsalted room temperature ()
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup water 
• 0.5 cup whipping cream 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• sauce pan
• baking paper
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• baking pan
• hand mixer
• spatula
• pastry bag

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch square metal baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment.
2. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
3. Mix warm water and baking soda in small bowl until baking soda dissolves. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, molasses, eggs, and fresh ginger in large bowl until well blended.
4. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with water mixture in 2 additions, beating until just combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto rack; cool. Peel off parchment.
7. Bring first 3 ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Add chocolate and vanilla; stir until smooth.
10. Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 20 minutes.
11. Place cake on rack set atop baking sheet. Reserve 1/2 cup glaze.
12. Pour remaining glaze over cake, spreading with spatula to coat top and sides. Chill cake and reserved glaze until reserved glaze is just firm enough to pipe, about 1 hour.
13. Transfer reserved glaze to pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe 5 diagonal lines atop cake, spacing evenly. Cluster crystallized ginger atop lines. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)