Gingerbread

When someone mentions gingerbread, several different things might spring to mind. You will probably picture gingerbread houses constructed of medium-thickness crisp cookie. Or, you might picture slightly softer cookies cut in the shapes of boys and girls. But, in The New England Cookbook, we find a third kind of gingerbread: a cake!

Gingerbread

2 ½ C flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cloves

¼ tsp allspice

1 C molasses

1 C boiling water

½ C shortening

½ C sugar

1 egg, beaten

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Combine molasses and boiling water and set aside. Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and beat thoroughly. Gradually add dry mixture and liquid mixture, alternating and mixing until smooth after each addition. Finally beat only until smooth.

Turn into a greased cake pan. Bake at 350^oF for 50 to 60 minutes or until done. Allow to cool. Cut into 3 in. squares and serve with powdered sugar or whipped cream.

I would recommend baking this recipe if you want your house to smell especially festive! I opened up the oven and was overwhelmed by the cloud of ginger and spice smell. The cake was a little dense but very soft, and deliciously spicy. This is definitely a nice, albeit slightly heavy, dessert.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!