This recipe from Carole Bloom’s “The Essential Baker” produces a gingerbread that is soft and cakelike with rich aromas of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Start to finish, it takes about an hour and 15 minutes.
Gingerbread
1tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 stick, also softened
2-1/2cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1teaspoon cinnamon
1/2teaspoon ground cloves
1/4teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4teaspoon salt
1/4cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4cup granulated sugar
2extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1cup molasses
1cup boiling water
Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with foil, letting the foil hang about 2 inches over the sides. Use a paper towel or your fingertips to coat the inside of the foil with 1 tablespoon butter.
Over a large piece of waxed or parchment paper, or over a bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Add the nutmeg and salt and toss to blend.
Place the stick of butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a large bowl. Use the flat beater attachment or a hand-held mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and cream together until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
In a small bowl, use a fork to lightly beat the eggs. Add the eggs and molasses to the butter mixture. The eggs will sit on top of the butter mixture, so stop after adding each one and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
The mixture may look curdled as the eggs are added, but as you scrape down the bowl, the mixture will smooth out. Add the water and beat to blend thoroughly.
Adjust the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in four stages, blending thoroughly after each edition. Stop often and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely on a rack.
Use the foil to lift the gingerbread from the pan. Carefully peel the foil away from the sides. Cut into 4 equal rows in each direction. Serve the gingerbread at room temperature.
The gingerbread can be wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature up to 4 days.
Recipe from Carole Bloom’s “The Essential Baker”
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