Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cake

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cake puts plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, cocoa powder and baking soda at the center of a chocolate recipe and finishes in about 75 minutes, enough for 16 Servings (10-cup bundt pan or 2 loaf pans).

• Yield 16 Servings (10-cup bundt pan or 2 loaf pans)
• Ready in 75 minutes
• Prep 20 minutes
• Cook 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup butter (at room temperature)
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 1 cup very hot water
• 1 (12-ounce) package mini semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan or two loaf pans (8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch).
2. Whisk together 2 ½ cups flour cocoa and all remaining spices and soda.
3. Toss chocolate chips with remaining 2 tablespoons flour in another bowl.
4. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed in a large, deep bowl, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Whisk together the molasses and hot water in a 4-cup glass measure or bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture alternately with the molasses mixture in 3 batches. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and is firm to the touch but not overbaked and dry.
7. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Invert and cool completely. Serve, lightly dusted with cocoa powder and/or with sweetened whipped cream.

Let the center settle before you cut it, or the slices will slump.