I believe its name originally came from the look of the dark or black rum floating on top of the ginger beer; it looked like a storm cloud. Without the dark rum, it's just not the same. But when you put the flavors into a dessert, no one's the wiser.
Dark and Stormy Gingerbread
by
Prep Time: 15 minutes + 24 hours (overnight soaking)
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Keywords: bake dessert vegetarian soy-free nut-free ginger limes rum Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas cake
Ingredients (serves 10-12)
- 1/2 cup dates, chopped
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup dried plums, chopped
- 8 fluid ounces (1 cup) ginger beer
- 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) dark or añejo rum
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 8 ounces (16 tablespoons/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- finely grated zest of 2 limes
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice + more as needed
- zest of a lime, cut into long, thin strands
Instructions
Place the dates, raisins, and prunes into a small-medium bowl. Pour the ginger beer and the rum over the fruit. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill for 24 hours. After 24 hours, set a strainer over a small bowl, strain the liquid, and reserve BOTH the liquid and the fruit.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a tube pan generously and set aside. Sift together all of the dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream the butter, both sugars, molasses, and lime zest together until smooth and light, 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and grated ginger, and continue to beat for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the dry mixture in three stages, alternating with the reserved fruit steeping liquid, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat on high for 1 minute, until everything is well combined and fluffy.
Add the candied ginger, coconut, and reserved fruit to the bowl, and fold it in using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth out the top. Slide into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a center portion of the cake comes out clean. Set on a wire rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Turn the gingerbread out of the pan, and place it back on the wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Stir together the powdered sugar and lime juice until smooth. Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar or lime juice until it is just spreadable. Spread over the cooled cake, and immediately scatter with the thin strips of lime zest.
Store the cake, covered, at room temperature. Go ahead and make this in advance, it tastes even better the second or third day.
-adapted from The Cooking Channel
