Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Glaze
Melted butter and flour for pan (or baking spray)
1 C. unsalted butter, softened
1 C. packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 C. dark molasses
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 T. ground ginger
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 C. minced crystallized ginger
1 C. boiling water
Lemon Glaze:
1 C. confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 t. lemon zest (colored part of rind)
Preheat oven to 350? F. Generously brush inside of a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan with melted butter and sprinkle with flour, or spray with baking spray.
Beat butter with electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually beat in molasses in slow, steady stream.
Sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, cloves and salt; stir in crystallized ginger. Gradually beat dry ingredients into batter just until blended; don't overbeat. Turn off mixer. Add boiling water, 1/3 cup at a time, stirring gently but thoroughly by hand with large rubber spatula. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack until warm, 20 to 30 minutes. (Cake may sink a little in oven or while cooling; that's OK.) Run knife around top of cake to loosen, then invert onto a platter.
Make glaze by stirring together sugar and lemon juice until smooth; add zest. Drizzle over cooled cake. Let glaze set before cutting.
Makes 12 to 16 servings.
From "Classic Home Desserts," by Richard Sax
posted at
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com