email this pageGingerbread has had two forms. It’s either a cookie (often cut into gingerbread men or used as slabs to construct edible holiday houses) or a cake (airy, spicy, tender and egg- and butter-rich). Cake-style gingerbreads first appeared in European recipe collections in the 18th century and quickly became popular. In 1796, Amelia Simmons included five different versions in her American Cookery. And we’re still tweaking this old favorite today.
Classic Hot-Water Gingerbread with Lemon Orange Sauce
If your childhood included cake-style gingerbread, the odds are good it was this one. Bring it out again, and you’ll see that it’s as good as you remember it. When you make it with the Lemon-Orange Sauce, you’ll see it is even better. This goes together so quickly it’s best to have the oven preheated, the water boiling and the butter melted before you start.
Ingredients
Lemon Orange Sauce:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
Dash of salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 generous tablespoon of mild honey or light corn syrup
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, water
Cake:
Cooking spray
1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
Instructions
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
Dash of salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 generous tablespoon of mild honey or light corn syrup
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, water
Cake:
Cooking spray
1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
1. To prepare sauce, combine granulated and brown sugars with cornstarch. Whisk in juices or mix well using your fingers. Transfer to a small nonreactive saucepan.
2. Place over medium heat. Whisk in lemon and orange rind, salt, butter, honey and water. Bring to a boil; cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent. Serve warm with gingerbread.
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
4. To prepare cake, beat egg and brown sugar together in a medium bowl; add molasses, butter, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
5. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda (there’s no need to sift). Add to egg mixture and whisk in boiling water. The batter will be quite thin.
6. Pour into pan, and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool at least 20 minutes in the pan before serving. Serve in bowls with warm Lemon-Orange Sauce. Serves 6 to 8.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, Relish Classic Dishes, “King of Cakes,” December 2007.
Elsie’s Gingerbread
Photo by Mark Boughton; styling by Teresa Blackburn
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This streusel-topped version, light on molasses and heavy on spice, has a moist, almost coffeecake-like texture and a delicate crumb. The streusel melts into the cake and provides a yummy appearance. Be sure to coat only the bottom of your pan with cooking spray.
Ingredients
1. Preheat oven to 300F. Coat bottom only of a 9-inch square pan or 9-inch tube pan with cooking spray. If using a tube pan with a removable bottom, wrap outside of pan with foil to prevent leaks.
2. Combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening to make a crumbly mixture. Scoop out ¼ cup and set aside.
3. Add egg and molasses to flour mixture and stir. Combine buttermilk, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir well (there will still be a few lumps). Pour into prepared pan; sprinkle reserved flour mixture evenly over top.
4. Bake 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 350 and continue baking 18 to 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 9.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, Relish Classic Dishes, "King of Cakes," Dec. 2007.
Nutritional Information
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
3 tablespoons molasses
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
3 tablespoons molasses
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 300F. Coat bottom only of a 9-inch square pan or 9-inch tube pan with cooking spray. If using a tube pan with a removable bottom, wrap outside of pan with foil to prevent leaks.
2. Combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening to make a crumbly mixture. Scoop out ¼ cup and set aside.
3. Add egg and molasses to flour mixture and stir. Combine buttermilk, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir well (there will still be a few lumps). Pour into prepared pan; sprinkle reserved flour mixture evenly over top.
4. Bake 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 350 and continue baking 18 to 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 9.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, Relish Classic Dishes, "King of Cakes," Dec. 2007.
Per serving: 240 calories, 11g fat, 3g prot., 36g carbs., 0g fiber, 480mg sodium.
White Gingerbread
Photo by Mark Boughton; styling by Teresa Blackburn
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This rethinking of an old favorite omits molasses altogether. Instead, ginger in three forms (crystallized, dried and fresh) sings through loud and clear, flavoring a delicious chewy brownie-like cake. Turbinado sugar is raw coarse sugar crystals that have a molasses flavor. Look for them in the baking section.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1⁄3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons finely grated
fresh ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ounce crystallized ginger,
chopped
1 teaspoon turbinado or
granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1⁄3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons finely grated
fresh ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ounce crystallized ginger,
chopped
1 teaspoon turbinado or
granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat an 11-by-7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, ground and fresh ginger, and cardamom.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and beat well. Scrape into prepared pan. Sprinkle crystallized ginger pieces over batter.
4. Combine turbinado sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. The cake will be chewy, golden and fragrant and an inserted toothpick will test clean. Serves 10.
Variation: Place thin slices of a peeled apple over cake, along with crystallized ginger, before sprinkling with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, Relish Classic Dishes, "King of Cakes," Dec. 2007.
Nutritional Information
2. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, ground and fresh ginger, and cardamom.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and beat well. Scrape into prepared pan. Sprinkle crystallized ginger pieces over batter.
4. Combine turbinado sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. The cake will be chewy, golden and fragrant and an inserted toothpick will test clean. Serves 10.
Variation: Place thin slices of a peeled apple over cake, along with crystallized ginger, before sprinkling with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, Relish Classic Dishes, "King of Cakes," Dec. 2007.
Per serving: 170 calories, 7g fat, 2g prot., 26g carbs., 0g fiber, 70mg sodium.
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