"God Bless us, everyone!"
-The Gingerbread Man, Shrek
My grandmother always had a box of gingersnaps in her pantry. I remember visiting her house in Maryland when I was a little girl. I would push a chair across the tile floor and reach into the cabinet and sneak a spicy sweet cookie out of the orange and yellow striped box of Nabisco cookies. It was something that never changed, Grandma always had a box of gingersnaps.
Any ginger type "treat" immediately leaves me feeling nostalgic. They spicy warmth reminds me of my grandmother and of being younger. So, this week I chose Gingerbread Cake, not only for the simple ingredients and method, but also for the warm memories.
gathering and prepping...
I invested in a few new items for this week's cake, the first being a new 9X9 baking pan. I also had to track down unsulfured molasses, which I had never heard of until this recipe. Mostly everything else I had in my pantry including all the fragrant spices. Nutmeg! Ginger! and Cinnamon! Oh my!
The Gingerbread Cake wasn't complicated to make, but it was time consuming. There were lots of steps, lots of measuring, lots of sifting and the usual slow process of incorporating. It seemed to be worth the time as this amazing aroma coming from my oven filled my house while the Gingerbread Cake baked.
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| -ginger flower- finishing and frosting... |
I chose the Mascarpone Whipped Cream as a frosting because the recipe suggested it and because Mascarpone seemed like a good match for the spicy ginger flavor.
Gingerbread Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting.
The Gingerbread Cake was....good. I wasn't overwhelmed with amazement. It tasted like any other Gingerbread cake I've ever had. The texture was moist and it did have that spicy ginger taste that I love so much. I was impressed with the Mascarpone Whipped Cream frosting. Without the frosting this cake would have been a disappointment. The frosting added the gourmet feel that I'm looking for in my baking.
I'm not sure that I will make this cake again. If I do, I will serve it in bite size pieces with the Mascarpone frosting on the side as a spread. I think serving it this way would be a perfect appetizer/snack to offer at a tea party or a baby shower or holiday party.
Overall still very delicious.
-jodi
