Recipe: Gingerbread, Gingerbread Cake, Lynne's Dark and Moist Gingerbread - I hope dear June that one of these is the recipe!

Gingerbread
Contributor: Canadian Living

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 each egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour milk

This prizewinner was adapted from a 1915 Five Roses Flour recipe book, and makes a deliciously moist, cake like gingerbread. Baked in a 9-inch square cake pan, it will be about 1 inch deep, suitable for serving in squares topped with whipped cream for dessert. Using a slightly larger pan, a small cookie sheet with shallow sides or a jelly- roll pan produces shallower squares that are great for snacking.

In mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, molasses and egg until thoroughly blended. In separate bowl, combine flour, ginger and soda; add alternately with milk to sugar mixture. Turn batter into greased 9-inch square cake pan. Bake in 350 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Yield: 1 cake

Gingerbread Cake
Contributor: Anne Lindsay's Light Kitchen

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soft margarine or butter
grated rind of 1 orange
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fancy molasses
1/4 cup grated gingerroot
1 1/2 cups sifted cake-and-pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Grated fresh gingerroot adds an extra flavor dimension to this moist cake, but ground ginger also works well. This cake is delicious topped with stewed sliced apples, or serve with fresh fruit, Microwave Rhubarb Sauce with Ginger or ice cream.

In bowl and using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, margarine and orange rind until smooth.
Beat in egg and egg white, beating well after each addition. Mix in applesauce, molasses and ginger until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture, beating for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer to 8-inch (8-cup) square cake pan. Bake in 350:F oven for 40 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Baking Note: Instead of using fresh gingerroot, you can add 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients for this cake. Yield: 12 servings

Lynne's Dark and Moist Gingerbread
Makes 9 servings. Copyright 2001 Lynne Rossetto Kasper.

Moist, dark, spicy, but not too sweet, this is classic gingerbread. My addition of black pepper is because it was a constant ingredient in gingerbreads of the past. It sparks the other ingredients. NOTE (Gladys)I dont think that the addition of black pepper will benefit the cake.You could add two teaspoons of grated fresh ginger if you want even more kick. For a new take, substitute one teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder for 1 teaspoon of the ground ginger.

The cake keeps five to seven days, wrapped, at room temperature and freezes beautifully for up to three months. If possible, serve warm with dollops of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

2 cups, less 2 tablespoons, all-purpose unbleached flour (measure by spooning into cup and leveling)
1 generous teaspoon baking soda
Generous 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup dark molasses
3/4 cup very hot water (190 degrees)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg

1. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 . In a bowl or bag, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the rest of the ingredients except the egg. When almost frothy, beat in the egg and quickly add the flour mixture.

3. Stir only until thoroughly blended. Pour into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack in the pan for a moist cake. For a drier consistency, cool 10 minutes, then turn out of pan.

4. Serve on its own, with whipped cream, or present it reheated with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.