L.A. Burdick Inspired Ginger Loaf Cake with Chocolate Chunks
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
10 ounces chocolate chunks (see recipe note)
1 cup chopped uncrystallized candied ginger (see recipe note)
2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar (see recipe note)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper and greasing it. If you don’t have parchment paper, dust the greased pan with flour.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Set aside.
Chop your ginger into small pieces, dust with a little bit of flour to separate the pieces to ensure they don’t clump together.
In a standing mixer beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy
Next add in your eggs one at a time until each egg in fully incorporated.
Then add in the vanilla and sour cream. Beat until well combined.
Add in the flour, mix on medium low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed.
Lastly, add in the chocolate chunks and ginger and mix on low until everything is combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with the coarse sugar and bake until the top is golden brown and the center comes out with moist crumbs. This will take about 60-80 minutes (depending on oven temperatures, check doneness with a toothpick at the 60 minute mark). If the cake is getting too brown on top, lay a piece of foil on top of it.
Let the cake cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Recipe Notes
I am absolutely obsessed with the ginger cake at L.A. Burdick. It’s a seasonal item offered only during the winter months and I wait ALL YEAR LONG for it. After scouring the internet in vain for a copycat recipe, I hacked my own by adding candied ginger and chocolate chunks to a sour cream pound cake. I found candied ginger (the uncrystallized kind without the extra sugar) at Trader Joe’s. L.A. Burdick is a world-renowned chocolatier so it’s important to use good quality chocolate chunks for an accurate replica. Sanding sugar adds a satisfying crunch but if you can’t find it, Sugar in the Raw works well too (I’m notorious for swiping extra packets from Starbuck’s). The cooking time can be tricky because of the sour cream and oven variations. I tested this recipe twice, and both times it took over 80 minutes so be diligent about testing it after the 60 minute mark. If the crust is getting too brown, lay a piece of foil on top of the cake. Finally, a dollop of whipped cream and a cup of tea serves as a nice compliment. It’s not an exact dupe but this version gets close enough to satisfy my cravings in the off-season. I hope you enjoy it!
