Buttermilk Pound Cakes with White Chocolate, Cranberries and Ginger
3 Loaves (eat one, freeze one and give the third to a friend!)
Loaves:
12 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups white sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 12-ounce bag of white chocolate chips
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
½ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Ginger Syrup:
1 cup water
¾ cup white sugar
2” knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into ¼” disks
1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
2) Spray three 8-9” loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper
3) Divide the white chocolate chips in half and melt half in a small ceramic bowl in your microwave. Microwave on High in 20 second intervals, stirring after each time. Set aside to slightly cool.
4) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt.
5) Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk.
6) Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer 1-2 minutes until butter is light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, 1 egg at a time. When eggs are fully incorporated, add the melted and cooled white chocolate.
7) On low, add 1/3 of the dry mix, then half of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the dry mix, remaining buttermilk and finish with the final 1/3 of the dry mix.
8) Off the mixer, fold in the remaining white chocolate chips, the chopped cranberries and the chopped crystallized ginger.
9) Divide the batter between the three pans and bake 50-60 minutes until golden and set and an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean.
10) While the cakes bakes, stir together the water and white sugar in a small pan and bring to a simmer on low heat. Add in the sliced fresh ginger and let simmer 5 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool to room temperature. Leave the ginger in the syrup as it cools.
11) When the cakes have cooled for 15 minutes, lightly brush the syrup over the cakes (while they are still warm in their pans).
