Gingerbread Cake
If you are studying early American history, it’s fun to incorporate the foods our ancestors used to enjoy. Molasses was a special treat for the colonists, because of the shortened supply of processed sugar. Many of their foods were sweetened by molasses, and a real treat was spreading it on their homemade bread for breakfast like you would use honey. Try tasting it plain and see what you think.
Gingerbread, which uses molasses, was a favorite of the early American colonists. There is a story that in 1784, Lafayette returned to America to visit George Washington’s mother in Fredericksburg. She served him mint julep with “spiced gingerbread” that included West India molasses, a wine glass of brandy and the juice and rind of an orange. More usual ingredients are found in the recipe below, which is known as Fort Atkinson Gingerbread. This recipe was found in the Gold Medal Cook book that was always given to brides in the 1870’s. I like to serve it with a good dollop of Applesauce Whipped Cream – a spicy treat for a cool Winter day!
This is also a good cake to have the kids cut out a snowflake pattern from paper, lay it over the baked Gingerbread, and sift powdered sugar over the design. Carefully remove the paper to leave snowflake pattern made by the powdered sugar for a pretty presentation.
Favorite Gingerbread with Applesauce Whipped Cream
½ cup soft shortening
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup dark molasses
1 cup boiling water
2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour the bottom of a square pan, 9X9”. You can spray the bottom of the pan with spray shortening (Pam) and sprinkle a tablespoon of flour, tipping the pan back and forth to cover the bottom with the flour. Discard any excess.
2. Stir the flour in your storage container to incorporate air – this way you don’t have to sift the flour. Measure the flour into another bowl by lightly spooning flour into the dry measuring cup and using a straight edge to level off the excess. Use measuring spoons for the soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon, leveling off the excess with a straight edge. Mix all the dry ingredients together. When baking, it is important to be accurate with your measurements, because it can affect the outcome of the baked product.
3. Using a mixer, thoroughly mix the shortening, sugar, and egg, scraping the sides with a rubber scraper.
4. When the mixture is fluffy, add the molasses and water. Use the same measuring cup for the water to clean out the molasses.
5. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth.
6. Pour into the pan and bake 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. It’s best served warm, cut into squares. (9 servings)
Applesauce Whipped Cream
1 cup chilled whipping cream
¼ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup applesauce
1. Chill a deep bowl and beater.
2. Place whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla in a bowl, beating together until stiff. Don’t overbeat or you will get butter and buttermilk!
3. Fold in the applesauce.
4. A shortened version is to use a container of Cool Whip and add the applesauce.
