Gingerbread Baby Cakes

Melted butter for greasing the pans. Sweetened whipped cream for serving. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven at 350F. Brush the insides of 8 mini or baby cakes pans (4 inches across, 1 inch deep. or use a 10 inch round cake pan). Flour and butter them, and tap out the excess flour. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, espresso powder, cocoa, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, ground black pepper together just to mix, reserve. Put the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or use hand mixer and beat on medium- high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides ot the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The butter and sugar must be beaten until they are very light and fluffy, the process can take 6 to 8 minutes with a hand mixer, 3 to 4 with the heavy duty mixer. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating on high speed for 30 seconds to a minute after each addition. The mixture may look curdled, but that's OK, it will smooth out as you continue. Beat in the fresh ginger and add the molasses, mixing on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth. With a rubber spatula fold in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Pour the batter in the pan(s). Bake 20-25 minutes for the small cakes, 50-60 minutes for a large one, until the cakes are springy and the tops crack. Take care not to overbake. Cool 10 minutes on a rack, run a knife around the edges and unmold. Turn the cakes over so they cool right side up. Serve with whipped cream. These moist cakes will keep covered at room temperature for 3 days or they can be frozen.