Ginger Cake with Ginger-Cream Frosting

Cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
2tsp. ground cinnamon
2tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/1/4 cups packed golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mild flavored molasses
3/4 cup guinness stout, flat, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 9 inch round pansSift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl; set aside.Using electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl untillight and fluffy.Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.Beat in molasses.Beat in flour mixture alternately with stout in 3 additions each. (mixwill look curdled).Beat until just smooth. Divide batter between prepaared pans; smoothtops.Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes. Turn cakes out ontoracks; cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead .Wrap in plastic; let stand at room temperature.)

Frosting:
3 cups chilled whipping cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
11 ounce can Mandarin Orange Slices, well drained.

Using electric mixer, beat cream and powdered sugar in large bowl until peaks form.Fold in minced crystallized ginger. Place 1 cake layer on platter.Spread 2 cups frosting over top. Top with second cake layer. spreadremaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange orange slices on top. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Chill. Let stand at roomtemperature 20 minutes before serving.)

Makes 10 servings.


Guinness Banana Nut Bread


2 cups brown sugar
1 cup mashed bananas
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups Guinness stout
2 cups broken walnuts
2 cups raisins
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 350 F . Lightly grease two 9X5 inch loaf pansIn a large bowl cream the brown sugar, banana, eggs, vanilla and oil.Set aside.In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt,cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and cloves.Alternately blend the flour mixture and the beer into the creamedmixture.Stir in the walnuts, raisins, and ginger to the mixture and blend well.Pour into the two greased 9X5 loaf pans.Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick emerges dry and clean.Leave in pan for 15 minutes to cool before turning out to coolcompletely on rack.