I think I may embark on a crusade to "veganize" as many as of the fabulous recipes created by the talented folks at Cook's Country TV/Cook's Illustrated as possible. I believe I'm becoming blissfully obsessed. A week or so ago, I had a successful and tasty go at their gumbo with it's oven-baked roux. Yum! (You can find my recipe here on One Green Planet.) So, I decided to try my hand at their Classic Gingerbread Cake with a little help from The Sweet Life Online's Gingerbread Bundt Cake. WOW! Cook's Country bakes theirs in a baking pan, but I like the bundt pan approach for a prettier presentation. After studying both inspiring recipes, I borrowed what I thought was the best of both worlds from each. I loved all of the spices in The Sweet Life cake recipe, but I upped the ground ginger by three times to the level of the Cook's Country recipe. I also added fresh ginger and black pepper from the latter. For the fat, I chose the Cook's Country's vegetable oil over The Sweet Life's vegan butter. There is plenty of flavor in this cake and by not having to cream butter in an electric mixer, clean up is quicker. And instead of The Sweet Life's 3/4 cup molasses, I used Cook's Country's 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup natural sugar. And, finally, I LOVED the idea of the Guinness Stout, courtesy Cook's Country. So I used their 3/4 cup and then added 1/4 cup soymilk from The Sweet Life recipe. I had to use my best judgment regarding amounts of substitutions, as The Sweet Life recipe made enough batter for a bundt cake and the Cook's Country recipe enough for an 8-inch pan. I think I hit it right and hope you agree! To serve, The Sweet Life recipe included a Spiced Eggnog Glaze which sounded delish, but we can't get vegan "nog" around here except at the holidays, so I replaced it with my own creation, serving it spooned over the cake with a side of fresh pear wedges and a star anise pod. So lovely and delicious. The pear wedges are optional, but the crisp, fresh taste of the fruit plays beautifully with the depth of the warm spices in the homey gingerbread.

Classic Gingerbread Bundt Cake [Vegan]

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