- 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Special equipment: a 4- to 5-cup nonstick bundt, kugelhopf, or loaf pan
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter pan, then flour it, knocking out excess. Chill 10 minutes.
- Finely grind together fresh ginger and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor (mixture will be wet).
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt.
- Stir together milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Beat together butter, remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Alternately add flour and milk mixtures to butter and eggs in 4 batches, beginning with flour and mixing at low speed until each batch is just incorporated. Mix in ginger sugar until just combined, then lemon juice.
- Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven until golden brown on top and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (about 1 hour for loaf pan). Carefully loosen edges with a knife and immediately invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.
- Gradually add confectioners sugar to 1 tablespoon lemon juice, whisking until smooth and adding more juice, 1 drop at a time, if glaze is too thick. Drizzle decoratively over top of cake.