ingerbread is said to have been invented by the Greeks around
2800 B.C. At one time it was made with breadcrumbs and sweetened with
honey but as it made its way throughout the world it was adapted to
meet the tastes of different cultures. That is why if you sample
gingerbread in a country other than your own it may not look or taste as you
expected. It can be a bread, a spicy sweet cake or a
molded/shaped cookie and it can range from light colored with just a touch
of spice to dark colored and very spicy.
In
England and North America, we like to make our gingerbread with
either treacle or molasses instead of the original honey. The British
favor treacle which has a much stronger taste and darker color than the
milder tasting and lighter colored molasses than we like in America. Ground ginger is always
present and, at least in America, cinnamon and sometimes ground cloves.
It seems to me that Americans are more partial to gingerbread cookies than
cake but this is a shame as this moist and flavorful cake is really the
perfect dessert for fall and winter. This recipe is also very
adaptable. Although it contains lemon zest you could instead use the
zest of one orange. Toasted nuts, minced fresh ginger, or even crystallized
ginger could be added. For the brave at heart a little ground
black or red pepper could be added for heat. Now, this
cake is very nice plain but it is absolutely delicious when frosted with a lemon flavored icing.
The lemon frosting recipe given here dries to a beautiful, satiny smooth,
crusty finish. If you like accompany this cake with softly
whipped cream, lemon curd, or even sauteed
apple slices.
Note:
There are two types of molasses generally used in making gingerbread: light
and dark. Light molasses, used in this recipe, comes from the first
boiling of the sugar syrup and is lighter in flavor and color than the dark
molasses. Dark molasses comes from the second boiling and is darker in
color with a more robust flavor. Molasses is usually labeled as "sulphured"
or "unsulphured" depending on whether sulphur was used in the processing.
The unsulphured molasses is lighter in color and tends to have a nicer
flavor. Molasses is used in baked goods to add color, moistness and
flavor.
For
Gingerbread Cake: Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
Butter and flour a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with 2 inch (5 cm) sides. Set
aside.
In a
separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground
cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside.
In bowl of
your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
(about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. Add the lemon zest and molasses and beat to combine. Add the dry
ingredients and milk, alternately, beginning and ending with the dry
ingredients. Beat just until incorporated.
Pour the
batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake
comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10
minutes before removing cake from pan. Let cool completely and then frost with
the Lemon Icing. If desired, garnish the top of the frosted cake with
toasted walnuts.
For Lemon
Icing: Mix together the sifted confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
(The icing should be thick but still spreadable.) Pour the icing onto the center
of the cake and spread with an offset spatula. Some of the icing will drip
down the sides of the cake.
This cake
will keep for several days at room temperature. Can serve with softly whipped cream,
lemon curd, or sauteed apples.
Note:
To prevent the molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray
the cup with a non stick vegetable spray (like Pam).
Lemon Zest
- The yellow outer rind of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor
and perfume. The rind being the outer skin of the lemon which
consists of both the yellow zest and white membrane (pith).
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