Serious Gingerbread

This recipe varies only slightly from the one at America's Test Kitchen, the good people of which apparently like their gingerbread the way I like mine: strong, dark, and semi-sweet.

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 TB Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 TB grated fresh ginger
2 TB candied ginger, minced


Grease and flour 7'' by 11'' inch (or smaller) pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk dry ingredients together in medium bowl and set aside. Whisk yogurt and milk together in small bowl. In large bowl, beat oil, molasses, and sugar with electric mixer until combined. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in yogurt/milk mixture. Add dry ingredients; beat until smooth (about 1 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary). Beat in fresh and candied ginger. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake to desired doneness -- about 40 minutes. Cool for at least ten minutes before cutting. Serve with whipped cream, powdered sugar, or icing, if desired.

ETA: Sorry the picture is huge for some reason...?