New York Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 200 g Unsalted butter, softened (Original recipe calls for '1 cup butter (scant)', which is approximately 200g)
• 190 g All-purpose flour (Original recipe calls for '1½ cups flour')
• 2 tablespoons Ground ginger
• 5 units Large eggs, separated
• 180 g Confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar) (Original recipe calls for '1½ cups powdered sugar')
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder
• 0.25 teaspoon Salt (Added for modern flavor balance)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter and flour a deep 9-inch round cake pan or a 9x9 inch square pan. Alternatively, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the sides.
2. 2In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, and salt. Set aside.
3. 3In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened unsalted butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. 4Gradually add the sifted flour and ginger mixture to the creamed butter, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Set this mixture aside.
5. 5In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed until they are thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
6. 6Gently fold the egg yolk and sugar mixture into the butter and flour mixture until just combined. Be careful not to deflate the mixture.
7. 7Clean the mixer beaters thoroughly. In another clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
8. 8Gently fold about one-third of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Then, sift the baking powder over the remaining egg whites and gently fold them into the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix and deflate the batter.
9. 9Pour the batter into the prepared deep cake pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
10. 10Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before inverting it onto the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.