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Christmas: Colonial Gingerbread

Source of Recipe

From "Camille Glenn's Old-Fashioned Christmas Cookbook"


Recipe Introduction

"This gingerbread came to Virginia from England at the time George III was struggling to hold on to the colonies (or rather, to their taxes). Judging by the stories of his enormous appetite, he could have eaten this entire cake at one sitting. I have to admit, it is terribly good - in fact, I do believe it is the best I've ever tasted. The sorghum molasses is important; do try to find some. I am not sure they used sorghum in eighteenth-century England, but we certainly did in the South."

List of Ingredients

◦  1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
◦  1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
◦  ½ tsp ground allspice
◦  1 tsp ground ginger
â—¦ ¼ tsp ground cloves
◦  ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
◦  1½ tsp baking powder
◦  ⅓ tsp baking soda
◦  ⅓ tsp salt
◦  â…“ cup (5½ tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦  ⅓ cup light brown sugar
◦  1 large egg, lightly beaten
◦  ½ cup molasses (sorghum, if possible)
◦  ½ cup boiling water
◦  Whipped cream, for topping


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan or a 10 x 8 x 1½-inch cake pan, and line it with foil or wax paper. Set it aside.

Combine the flour, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the egg and then add the molasses and boiling water. Add the flour mixture and combine thoroughly.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the cake bounces back when lightly touched with your finger or when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for about 5 minutes before removing it from the pan (the ginger radiates so much heat that it will make the gingerbread crack open if you unmold it too soon.)

Release the sides of the springform pan (or invert the cake pan over a wire rack) and allow the cake to cool slightly. Serve the cake warm, topped with whipped cream.


Serves 6


â—¦ Note:
You can make the gingerbread ahead, allow it to cool thoroughly, and then freeze it. To serve, thaw the gingerbread and then heat it for 25 to 30 minutes in a 300° F oven.