Gingerbread Cake

David, stumping in with the walking stick, stopped in the doorway, casting a suspicious eye around the walls. “What the hell’s been going on in here?”

“I tidied up.” Paul took plates out of the warming oven, starting to set the table. “You have these beautiful china services, it’s a shame not to appreciate them. The stove is fantastic, I need to try a cake in it. I need to shop today and I’ll get the stuff to make cake and bread, the stuff you have in the freezer is revolting.”

“He makes cakes.” Philip said to David, raising an eyebrow. David snorted, sitting down stiffly at the table.

“Where do you come from to go making cake?”

He made it sound like a particularly reprehensible habit.

“Maine.” Paul cracked eggs into a skillet, mentally calculating for six. “Little fishing village.”

~ Keeper's Yard

Serves Flynn, or 8 family members

Ingredients 

Gingerbread Cake
1 3/4 cups  flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons  butter, softened
1/3 cup  granulated sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup  dark molasses
3/4 cup  cold water

Grandma's Maine Whipped Cream
The Ranch Family are big fans of whipped cream, so I've doubled grandma's original recipe which only called for one cup of cream.  
2 cups  heavy cream
1/2 cup  maple syrup

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Directions

Gingerbread Cake

1. Preheat Oven to 350 F
2. Butter an 8x8-inch cake pan. 
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and creamy. 
• Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg and beat until well combined. 
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the molasses in a slow, steady stream, beating all the while. 
• Add half of the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until well combined. 
• Mix in the remaining dry ingredients. 
• Slowly pour in the cold water and stir until well incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan 
• Bake 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean,
• Let cool in the pan about 1 hour before serving.

Whipped Cream

1. Beat the cream until thickened. 
• Slowly pour in the syrup and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks. 
2. Cut the cake into squares. 
3. Serve with the whipped cream.

*recipe is from Fine Cooking