Title: Cakey Gingerbread Squares
Categories: Dessert Cake Holiday
Yield: 12 Servings
| 8 | tb | Unsalted butter; at room temperature |
| 1/2 | c | Sugar |
| 2 | | Large eggs |
| | | Grated zest of 1 orange |
| 2 1/2 | c | Sifted all-purpose flour |
| 2 | ts | Baking soda |
| 2 | ts | Ground ginger |
| 1 | ts | Ground cinnamon |
| 1/2 | ts | Ground allspice |
| 1/2 | ts | Ground nutmeg |
| 1/2 | ts | Salt |
| 1/4 | ts | Ground cloves |
| 1 | c | Unsulfured molasses |
| 1 | c | Boiling water |
| | | Confectioners' sugar; for dusting |
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking
pan. Using a hand-held electric mixer set at high speed, beat the butter
until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until light in color
and texture, about 2 additional minutes. Beat in the eggs and orange zest.
Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and
cloves onto a piece of waxed paper. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, combine
the molasses and boiling water. Alternately in thirds, beat in the flour
and molasses mixtures. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until
a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, and the
cake is shrinking from the sides of the pan, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand on
a wire cake rack for 5 minutes. Place the confectioners' sugar in a sieve
and dust over the top of the cake. Serve the cake warm or completely
cooled. Makes 12 to 16 servings. Source: "An Edible Christmas" (A Treasury
of Recipes for the Holiday) by Irena Chalmers. Reformatted by: CYGNUS,
HCPM52C