Purple Velvet Bundt Cake with Wild Ginger and White Chocolate

This decadent, moist cake has a texture similar to red velvet, but the color is all-natural! It’s lightly spiced with wild ginger and complimented by white chocolate.

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Nestled into the forest floor in the wetter areas of the Pacific Northwest are heart-shaped leaves with a delectable secret. This is wild ginger, but its name doesn’t nearly capture the bright, citrus-and-spice complexity of its flavor! We first became acquainted on an early autumnal day with a surprise dusting of the first snow of the year. Wild ginger’s deep green leaves looked stunning against the fresh whiteness, an image I hold in my mind every time I breathe in its intoxicating spicy scent. 

There’s something that feels undeniably cozy about Jack Frost’s first visit of the year, even if he comes a bit too early for your liking. He seems like a curious fellow, eager to dash around the globe spreading snowflakes and frost crystals wherever he goes! Can you blame him? Surely he must also be entranced by the otherworldly beauty of autumn, from the luscious fruits still on the vine to the leaves just starting to change color. This time of year, it’s hard to define a specific season; it can feel like fall one day and then suddenly shift to winter, and a few days later it feels like summer’s last hurrah! I say go with the flow and embrace the changes, delight in the wonders that each micro-season has to offer. And on wintry fall days, snuggle in and bake something cozy. As for me, I often reach for my much-beloved jar of dried wild ginger. 

You can use wild ginger’s leaves or rhizomes fresh or dried to infuse in hot water to add a special layer of flavor to baked goods like this cake. Speaking of, this luscious cake gets its bright color all naturally, from purple yam powder! This also keeps the cake dense, moist, and buttery with a delicate crumb similar to the much-beloved red velvet. White chocolate adds decadence and creaminess to the lightly-spiced, citrusy flavors. Everything comes together to make a cake that is complex in its subtleties; it won’t leap out at you with a strong flavor, but instead will allow you to explore its many nuances, perhaps accompanied by a hot cup of tea and adorned with the last violets of the season. 

Wild Ginger Decoction: 

First you’ll want to make a strong brew of wild ginger to use in both the cake and the white chocolate ganache. Add a large handful of fresh or dried wild ginger leaves and rhizomes to a small saucepan, then add 2 c. of water. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate overnight (optional.) When you are ready to bake, strain out the leaves and reserve the infused water. 

*A note on wild ginger (Asarum caudatum): Both of the wild ginger plants that grow in the Pacific Northwest (the other being asarum canadense) contain small amounts of aristolochic acid, which is a toxin and carcinogen. Consumed in high amounts, studies have shown that it can cause serious kidney problems. But here’s the thing: aristolochic acid is barely soluble in water (less than 1%), which perhaps explains why most of the Indigenous uses were as a tea, where the plant matter itself was discarded. There’s a very small amount of wild ginger in this dessert, which is split into several servings. It’s also only steeped in water. I certainly wouldn’t recommend you go out and eat a salad of wild ginger greens (nor should you steep them in alcohol or vinegar), but in my opinion this recipe presents a safe, very low dose. Do keep in mind that everyone’s reactions to wild plants is different, though, and eat at your own risk. You can learn more about wild ginger here. 

Purple Velvet Bundt Cake: 

This makes enough for a 10-12 cup bundt pan. Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature to avoid splitting! 

Ingredients: 

1 ½ c. rice flour

¾ c. tapioca starch

¾ c. ube powder

2 ¼ tsp. Baking powder

1 ½ tsp salt

¾ tsp xantham gum

1 tsp. Ground ginger

1 tsp. Freshly-ground nutmeg

1 c. butter, at room temperature

1 ½ c. granulated sugar

5 eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbs. vanilla bean paste

1 tsp. Lemon zest

¾ c. wild ginger decoction

3 Tbs. lemon juice

1 ½ c. white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, xantham gum, baking powder, salt, and spices until thoroughly mixed. 

2. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium heat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. 

3. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated, then add ½ of the wild ginger decoction and mix it in well. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and the decoction so that you’ve add dry - wet - dry - wet- dry, beating well after each addition and scraping the side of the bowl as needed. 

4. Add the lemon juice and beat well. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

5. Spray your bundt pan well with non-stick spray. Spoon the batter into the pan and place in the oven. 

6. Cook for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back slightly when you press it. If the bottom is getting too dark, tent it with aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking. 

7. Carefully invert the pan onto a wire rack and let it cool cake-side down for 10 minutes, then very gently lift off the pan and let the cake cool completely before decorating. 

Wild Ginger White Chocolate Ganache: 

Ingredients: 

6 oz white chocolate

1.5 oz wild ginger decoction

Directions: 

1. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Warm the decoction up in the microwave until it is lukewarm and add it to the bowl. 

2. Mix well with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth and all the white chocolate has melted. Remove from heat and let cool to 95F, stirring often. 

3. Using a clean paintbrush, quickly brush the glaze all over your cake, allowing it to pool slightly in any crevices. Decorate as desired with edible flowers and serve! 

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