Recipe: Mary Engelbreit's Apple Cider Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce (mixed in the baking pan)

APPLE CIDER GINGERBREAD

"Gingerbread may be the world's best cold-weather dessert, and baking doesn't get simpler than this. The cake is mixed and baked in the same pan, so your kids will be perfect helpers here. Keep in mind that gingerbread tastes best when it's fresh from the oven -- put it in to bake when you sit down to dinner and you will have fragrant, moist gingerbread just in time for dessert."

FOR THE GINGERBREAD:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger
Lemon Sauce (recipe follows)

FOR THE LEMON SAUCE:
1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE GINGERBREAD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Into an 8-inch round cake pan, sift together the flour, brown sugar, ground ginger, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the apple cider, oil, molasses, vinegar, and crystallized ginger. With a fork, stir just until the batter is smooth.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack.

MEANWHILE, TO MAKE THE LEMON SAUCE:
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Refrigerate.

Cut the warm gingerbread into wedges and serve accompanied by the Lemon Sauce.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Mary Engelbreit's Queen of the Kitchen Cookbook by Mary Engelbreit