The story I’m currently working on features a hero who loves gingerbread. Since I always include a recipe at the back of my books, I thought it would be fun to include one for gingerbread.
Only I don’t have a good recipe for gingerbread cake. I have one for cookies and bars, but not cake.
So after drooling over dozens of options, I gave this one a try. It was a very good decision. Moist and flavorful, it filled the house with the most fabulous spicy scent while it baked.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Gingerbread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot water
Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two loaf pans, two round cake pans or a 9 x 13 baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Beat in egg, molasses, and applesauce. Spray your measuring cup with a shot of non-stick spray before you pour in the molasses. It will slide right out of it without leaving a big sticky mess behind.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Add dry ingredients to batter 1 cup at a time. When it is well-blended, add the cup of hot water and stir to incorporate.
If you are using loaf pans, bake for about 50 minutes. If using cake pans, baking time will decrease to around 20-30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Top with frosting, sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with caramel sauce or dollop on whipped cream. You can finish it however you like!
She Who Loves the Spicy Scent of Fall Baking
