Our family has two December birthdays. I am not one to shy away from a reason to celebrate, but December birthdays do come with their own set of challenges.
“Happy Birthday! Now say goodbye to your presents and get in the car. We’re spending Christmas at Grandma’s house and we need to beat the traffic.”
This was the sound track to my husband’s childhood birthdays. At least the way he remembers them. Ask Mike about the birthdays of his youth and he’ll tell you a tale of woe. His tragic story is practically stolen from the pages of Dickens, or perhaps Shepherd. That is, Jean Shepherd, author of “A Christmas Story.”
Not only does his birthday fall two days before Baby Jesus’s, it trails two days after his older brother. In his experience, Mike often shares his birthday with the last day of school or work before everyone scatters to their families for the holidays. Good luck having a party and getting your buddies to show up two days before Christmas.
When it comes to calendar placement, he’ll tell you, his birthday is one of the shortest straws a kid can draw. If there had been walking involved, it would have been uphill both ways.
Fortunately, our son’s birthday landed during the first half of the month. He doesn’t have to compete with the holiday itself. However, since pre-Christmas Saturdays are generally double-booked, between Santa pictures and family time, by the beginning of November, rounding up a half-dozen preschool friends can be a bit tricky.
A few weeks ago I spied a fallen eyelash on my son’s cheek. I pressed my finger to the lash and held it out for him to make a wish. Four-year-olds have great respect for the power of a wish. He sucked in a breath, his smooth face nearly creased with thought, then he exhaled and whispered, “I wish we had a gingerbread house for Christmas.” The simple wish threw me for a loop — I had been expecting something more pie in the sky.
Inspired by his request, I asked if he would like to have a gingerbread party for his upcoming birthday. Not only was he on board, he was thrilled. I was too. It meant we had found a way to combine our family celebration with the theme of the season. If only all his wishes were this easy to grant.
I have no idea if we will be able to give our son a childhood free of birthday baggage. If it isn’t birthdays, we will surely be utter failures in some respect. As for his father, I’m going to stick with the gingerbread theme all month. He’ll find all 43 of his candles atop a luscious Christmas cake.
I’ll even allow him to take his new toys to Grandma’s house — if he asks nicely.
Frosted gingerbread cake
- ½ cup low fat buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger root
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 large eggs
Fresh ginger, rich molasses and aromatic spices make this gingerbread cake a treat worthy of any winter celebration.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your pan (see note) by lining the bottom with parchment paper and brushing a little of the melted butter around the sides.
Pour vanilla into the buttermilk and set aside.
Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Stir in grated ginger and set aside.
Use an electric stand or hand mixer and a medium bowl to combine the brown sugar and melted butter. Mix on medium speed, scraping sides as needed until butter and sugar are fully blended and the color lightens.
Add the eggs one at a time. Mix at low speed and fully combine each egg before moving on. Continue on low speed and add the molasses.
Increase mixer to medium speed. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk. Add the flour in thirds so it is the first and last addition. Mix just until the batter is a uniform color.
Pour completed batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes until the center is firm and a probe or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before releasing the sides. Slide the cake off the base and leave it to cool on a rack. Cool the cake completely before frosting the top.
Notes: Gingerbread will keep up to a week in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly. This recipe may be made in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. One loaf yields 10 to 12 large slices.
Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 50 minutes. Serves: 16.
Per serving: 165 calories, 6g fat, 30 carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 2 g protein
Light cream cheese frosting
- 1 8-ounce package of Neufchatel cheese at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A modest layer of sweet cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping for a loaf of hearty gingerbread, or anything else for that matter. This recipe makes enough to cover up to 3 loaves.
Allow Neufchatel and butter to come to room temperature.
Use an electric mixer to blend all the ingredients until fluffy.
Smear modestly over gingerbread and sprinkle with bits of crystalized ginger. Store unused frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Variation: Orange Cream. Reduce vanilla to ½ teaspoon and stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh orange zest.
Prep time 15 minutes. Serves 48.
Per serving: calories 36, fat 2.4 g, carbohydrates 3 g, fiber 0, protein .7
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 1
Recipes adapted from The Family Feed, Gingerbread with Candied Ginger and Cream Cheese Frosting.
Rose McAvoy blogs at Light for Life at www.heraldnet.com/lightforlife and also at halfhersize.com. Email her at rose@halfhersize.com or find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halfhersize.
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