Chocolate-Ginger Pound Cake

Prep: 20 min; Bake: 1 hr., 10 min; Cool: 1 hr., 10 min.

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1  (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 1/4  cups  butter, softened
• 2  cups  sugar
• 5  large eggs
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  buttermilk
• 1/2  cup  crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Place chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30- second intervals.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

3. Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients. Stir together buttermilk and crystallized ginger. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

4. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan to wire rack, and cool 1 hour or until completely cool.

To freeze: Wrap cooled cake tightly with plastic wrap. Wrap loosely with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 1 month.