Glazed Cranberry Ginger Pound Cake

Directions

1. Make the cake: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter, add in the sugar, a little at a time, and beat the mix till it is light and fluffy. Add in the Large eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking pwdr, the baking soda, the salt, and the ginger and add in the flour mix to the butter mix alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mix and beating the batter after each addition. Mix in the cranberries, spoon the batter into a buttered and floured 3-qt decorative baking pan such as a bundt pan or possibly Kugelhupf, smoothing the top, and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven for 1-1/4 hrs to 1 hour and 20 min, or possibly till a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cold in the pan on a rack for 10 min, turn it out onto the rack, and let it cold completely. The cake may be made 2 days in advance and kept wrapped tightly in a cold place.
3. Make the sugared cranberries: Have ready in 2 separate bowls the egg white, beaten lightly, and the sugar. Dip the cranberries in the white, letting the excess drip off, coat them well with the sugar, and transfer them to the rack to dry. The sugared cranberries may be made 2 days in advance and kept on the rack in a cold dry place.
4. Make the glaze: In a heavy saucepan cook the sugar and 1-1/2 c. water over moderate heat, stirring and washing down any crystals clinging to the side of the pan with a brush dipped in cool water, till the sugar is dissolved. Add in the cranberries, bring the mix to a boil, and boil it, undisturbed, till it registers 250 degrees on a candy thermometer. Strain the mix through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids, and let the glaze cold slightly. The glaze may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. In a saucepan reheat the glaze, stirring, over moderately low heat till it is melted.
5. Brush the cake with the hot cranberry glaze and garnish it with the sugared cranberries.