Ingredients

3 C. all-purpose flour; sifted
1/4 tsp. baking soda
6 ounces candied ginger (about 3/4 C.)
3 1/2 ounces ginger; fresh
8 ounces butter; unsalted (2 sticks)
2 3/4 C. sugar
6 large eggs; separated
1 C. sour cream

Cooking Instructions

Adjust a rack 1/3 up from bottom of oven and preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10×4 1/4- inch angel food tube pan with an 18 C. capacity; butter pan even if it has a non-stick finish. Dust it all over with fine, dry bread crumbs, invert over paper and shake out excess crumbs and set the pan aside. Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside. Cut the candied ginger into 1/4 to 1/3-inch pieces and set aside. Grate the fresh ginger and set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until soft. Gradually beat in the grated fresh ginger and 2 1/4 C. of the sugar (reserving the remaining half C.). Then, beat in the egg yolks. On low speed, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients in two additions, alternately with the sour cream in one addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in half of the diced, candied ginger (reserve the remainder). Set aside. In the small bowl of the electric mixer (with clean beaters) beat the egg whites until they hold a soft shape. Reduce the speed to moderate and gradually add remaining half C. of sugar. Then increase the speed again and beat only until the whites hold a peak when the beaters are withdrawn. In three additions, fold the whites into the batter; with the first 2 additions and fold only partially, do not be too thorough and with the last addition, do not fold more than necessary to incorporate the whites. Turn into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the reserved candied ginger on top. Bake for about 1 hour, or, until a cake tester inserted gently into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Then cover the pan with the cake plate and, holding the pan the plate firmly together, turn them over and remove the pan and let the cake cool.

My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)