Warm Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze

Today is the day for the last Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club of 2014. December's theme, Warm Up to Winter, was selected by Val. This month I was tasked with bringing a dessert to the party.

I do believe that this must have been the easiest cake I have ever made! This gingerbread recipe is probably most similar to British gingerbreads. It’s moist, cakey and very pungent from the molasses. The spices give it a warm feel in the mouth and the lemon glaze adds just the right amount of tart sweetness.

The fragrance of gingerbread baking is just delightful as the cinnamon, cloves and ginger fill the house with holiday cheer. Perfect for today since we managed ot do most of the Christmas decorating.

We skipped the whipped topping that was called for - mom whined that she wanted some ginger ice cream with hers - I thought it was just fine on its own.

Warm Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup hot water
1 cup light or dark molasses
1 large egg
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter and hot water in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until the butter melts. Add molasses and egg, and stir with a whisk until blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Add flour mixture to the molasses misture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into a 9-inch cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool gingerbread in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Combine sugar and lemon juice, stirring until well blended. Pierce top of gingerbread liberally with a wooden skewer. Pour glaze over gingerbread. Cool completely.

Top each serving with the whipped topping. Sprinkle gingerbread with cinnamon and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Comments

[Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)]

Gingerbread cake is one of my favourites.

[sandi]

I wasn't sure about the Lemon Glaze... It must have worked!
You can never have enough dessert for a cold winter's eve (of course, what do I know?)
It was 70 in Alabama today! ;-)

[Karen (Back Road Journal)]

I haven't had old fashion gingerbread in such a long time. I like the idea of a lemon glaze topping it…it must be so good when warm out of the oven.

[JDeQ]

The gingerbread was easy to make and you're right - the lemon glaze made it!

70 in Alabama? that is summer weather. LOL