Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Mellow Gingerbread For Cold Weather


We have been having winter weather. Compared to the below zero temperatures being experienced elsewhere, our 23 degrees is warm, but here in California it is perceived as being cold. Lots of frost in the morning has really gotten me in the Christmas spirit, too. I've been baking Christmas cookies, but also this delicious gingerbread, one of the choices for the Cake Slice Bakers for December.


This is a nice, moist cake and it sits pretty high in the pan. We are baking from World Class Cakes by Roger Pizey. The photo with this recipe showed an awesome lace on top, made with royal icing. It was far too time consuming for this time of year. Besides, I like to serve my gingerbread with Mom's lemon sauce. There is just something great about lemon and gingerbread. Since this gingerbread has lemon zest in it, the combination is perfect.

I do prefer my gingerbread a bit darker, so next time I would probably use more molasses. I didn't use blackstrap molasses, just dark molasses, so that might have made it darker. I think I would also bake it in two eight-inch cake pans so that it was a thinner cake. Just a personal preference, since this really was fine just the way it was, and with a nice, mellow ginger flavor. I did change it a bit to make it non-dairy, but kept the rest of the ingredients as written...well, I used less lemon zest since I needed some for my lemon sauce. I also used the Dorie Greenspan technique of rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar instead of stirring it in at the end.

Be sure to check out what the other Cake Slice Bakers have made this month. Our choices included Coffee and Walnut Cake, P.A. Young's Torta, Caribbean Coconut and Rum Cake and my Gingerbread!


Gingerbread

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) non-dairy margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 2/3 cups soy creamer
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons molasses
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Combine the sugar and the lemon zest with your fingers. The lemon oils will mix with the sugar.
Cream the margarine and sugar mixture together until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time.

Add the sifted flour, baking soda, salt and spices and mix until well combined.

Warm the soy milk slightly in a pan on low heat and add the dark corn syrup and the molasses, mix, then pour into the batter. Mix just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared square cake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out onto a wire rack. Strip off the parchment paper and return to top side up.

Slice once cool. Serve with warm lemon sauce for a taste treat!

Mom's Lemon Sauce

½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (I used Meyer, but any lemon juice and zest is fine.
Zest from 1 lemon

In a saucepan, mix the sugar and cornstarch thoroughly. Gradually add the boiling water, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil at full boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and stir until well blended.

5 comments :

  1. First thing first Elle, thanks for sharing the recipe for Mom's Lemon Sauce, and I too like Dorie's technique of rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar! A delicious gingerbread you baked there.

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  2. It was a nice mild gingerbread wasn't it? I wish I had those royal icing skills, but I am sure the lemon sauce is better tasting anyway!

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  3. I love the sound of that lemon sauce with the gingerbread. It's a great flavour combination.

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  4. What a great alternative to a traditional glaze! I loved the addition of lemon zest to this cake. I thought it really gave it a nice brightness.

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  5. Lovely cake! I thought that the ginger taste was mellow too. But it is a nice cake. Lemon sauce sounds good!
    Merry Christmas!~

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