(Gâteau de Sirop)

SERVES 8 – 10

Ken Smith, the executive chef at Upperline restaurant and an avid home baker, often serves this spiced, cane syrup–sweetened cake. On special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas he pairs it with a sauce made from satsumas, a clementine-like citrus fruit that grows in Louisiana and is available in the late fall. Click here for a recipe for the sauce.

2 1⁄2 cups flour, plus more for the pan
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. ground cloves
1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
1⁄2 tsp. finely ground black pepper
1 1⁄2 cups dark cane syrup,
   preferably Steen's brand
1⁄2 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 1⁄2 tsp. baking soda, dissolved in
   1 cup boiling water
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

1. Heat oven to 350°. Butter a 9" round metal cake pan and line bottom with buttered parchment paper. Sprinkle in a little flour; turn and tilt pan to coat the inside. Invert pan and tap out any excess flour. Set pan aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together syrup, oil, and egg. Beat one-third of the flour mixture followed by one-third of the soda mixture into the syrup mixture; repeat twice more, to make a smooth batter. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cake cool completely in pan. Invert cake onto a plate; dust with confectioners' sugar.