Ginger Spice Cake Doubles as Dessert for Breakfast

Ingredients

• Baking spray
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger, preferably young ginger
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup unsulfured dark molasses
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of black pepper
• Whipped cream, powdered sugar, pomegranate arils, and thinly sliced candied ginger, for garnish

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper; lightly grease sides of pan with baking spray. Tightly wrap outer sides and bottom of pan in a double layer of aluminum foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Process 1 cup boiling water and ginger in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar, oil, molasses, baking soda, and salt; process until well combined, about 15 seconds Add eggs; process until just incorporated, about 15 seconds.
3. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper in a medium bowl; add to ginger mixture in blender. Process until just combined, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on rimmed baking sheet in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. (It’s OK if cake domes and cracks slightly.) Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove foil and pan sides; let cool completely, about 2 hours.
4. Dollop whipped cream around edges of cake, and dust center with powdered sugar. Top whipped cream with pomegranate arils and candied ginger.