Ginger Cake

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.

Butter and flour loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.

Pulse ginger and 1/2 cup flour in a food processor until ginger is finely chopped.

Beat butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy.

Add brown sugar, a little at a time, and beat until pale and fluffy.

Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in reserved ginger syrup, then beat in chopped ginger mixture.

Beat whites and a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks.

Fold one fourth of whites into batter gently but thoroughly, then sift one fourth of remaining cup flour into batter and fold gently but thoroughly.

Add remaining egg whites and flour alternately in 3 batches, folding in same manner.

Spoon batter into loaf pan, spreading evenly.

Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and turn cake out onto rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

*Available at specialty foods shops and by mail order from Simpson & Vail (800-282-8327; svtea.com).

· In place of stem ginger in syrup, you can use 1 1/4 cups (7 1/2 ounces) coarsely chopped crystalized ginger. Pulse in processor with 1/4 cup flour (instead of 1/2 cup flour, as above) and substitute light corn syrup for the ginger syrup.

· You can make cake in 3 (5 3/4- by 3- by 2-inch) mini-loaf pans.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes.

· Cake is better the day after it's made and keeps 5 days. Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.