Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mild-flavored molasses
• sweet whipped cream
• ground cinnamon, for garnish
• ground nutmeg, for garnish
• candied ginger slices (recipe below)

Directions

Grease a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round cake pan; set aside. In a bowl combine flour, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg and molasses; beat 1 minute. Add flour mixture and 1/2 cup water alternately to mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Pour batter into pan.

Bake in a 350(F) oven for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Serve warm topped with sweetened whipped cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Candied Ginger slices

Makes 9 servings

Candied Ginger Slices:
Slice small knobs of unpeeled ginger very thinly with a mandoline. In a large, shallow pot make a sugar syrup by dissolving 2 cups sugar into 1 cup water over medium-high heat. Add the ginger slices to the syrup and cook until syrup is quite thick, about 10 minutes. Remove the ginger slices from the pot and let drain or clean parchement paper. Transfer to a rack to dry at room temp for at least 2 days.

Source: Country Home (October 2005)