Moist Tender Spice Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups bleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups dark brown sugar

Recipe

• 1 adjust oven rack to middle positon and heat oven to 350 degrees. grease and lightly flour a metal or disposable foil 9 by 13 inch pan. whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2 cup measuring cup.
• 2 beat softened butter into dry ingredients first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble sized pieces. add about 1/2 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. add remaining milk mixture in two stages, beat on medium speed until bater is smooth. add the sugar; beat until just incorporated about 30 seconds. pour batter into cake pan.
• 3 bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40 minutes. set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack, let cool.
• 4 *** picnic tip: can be double wrapped in plastic a day ahead. return to pan to transport. also the batter can be divided and baked into two 8" square cake pans. take one to picnic and freeze one for later.
• 5 *** gingerbread variation - to turn cake into gingerbread:.
• 6 * reduce baking powder to 1 tsp; add 1 tsp baking soda.
• 7 * reduce brown sugar to 1 cup add 1 cup molasses.
• 8 * for spices, use 1 tbls ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp ground allspice (omit nutmeg and cloves).