Recipe: Turn-of-the-Century Molasses Cake

TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY MOLASSES CAKE

2 cups unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for garnish
sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in center. Generously grease 12-cup-capacity Bundt pan. Lightly dust with flour, tapping pan over sink to remove excess flour.

Combine molasses and baking soda; set aside. Use mixer to cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add reserved molasses mixture. Mix until combined.

Combine flour and salt. Add alternately with milk until combined and smooth. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Set pan on cooling rack; let cool 15 minutes.

Gently invert pan and remove cake. Let rest at least 45 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Can be made a day ahead and kept at room temperature, well-covered, or frozen up to 3 months, wrapped airtight. To serve, reheat cake (thaw in wrapping first, if frozen), wrapped in foil in 350 degrees F oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes (or alternately, in microwave oven on medium power until just warmed through, not hot). Sift confectioners' sugar over cake.

Servings: 10
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