Gingerbread Snacking Cake

Oh what a week it's been.

Going back to work after 2 weeks of vacation time is so not fun. I had so much to catch up on. I felt like I had been away a year, not just a few weeks. We had some issues with Jesse in school which only added to the stress and had my stomach in knots. I was so ready for the weekend and to get back to baking. To non-bakers that might sound strange but there is a certain comfort in baking for me. It calms all my senses. The scent of cinnamon in the air, the sound of the teaspoons tapping against tins, the purring of the mixer, the teakettle whistle, the warmness the oven brings to the kitchen. It put me back where I needed to be and that was in the kitchen with a great recipe.

Thanks to the ladies at Bread & Honey, I decided to make some Gingerbread Cake. We are getting yet another snow storm and I can't think of anything much better than a piece of warm gingerbread cake to coax me into a lazy weekend. Well as lazy as it can be for me, yes I cleaned the house a bit this morning, and did laundry and some crafting, but after that, it's gonna be pure, unadulterated laziness for us. Well, laziness accompanied by terrific gingerbread cake and a nice cuppa tea.

I made this recipe exactly the way Summer did over at her blog. I used half molassas and half pure maple sugar and let me tell you....this is the gingerbread cake you want to make.



Gingerbread Snacking Cake - from Martha Stewart Living/Bread & Honey Blog
Printable recipe
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses (I ran out and used 1/2 cup molasses and 1/2 cup pure maple syrup and it worked perfectly)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan; set aside. (I used Baker's Joy, as always)
In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

With an an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (mine tested done at 40). Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares; dust with confectioners’ sugar or whipped cream.