Gingerbread cake, you mean? Love it (don't care for gingerbread cookies)

Has to have chocolate frosting for me--that's how my mom always made it, and nothing else is the same. Yes, I know it sounds a little odd if you've never had gb with chocolate frosting, but it's one of those combinations that sounds as if it wouldn't work.... but is magical when you try it!

No particular recipe--I just grab whatever cookbook is handy and use theirs. It's the spices and chocolate that matter most, anyway.

I love gingerbread (and cookies), but choclate frosting on it sounds just plain off to me. This from the person who loves peanutbutter on hamburgers and jelly on hotdogs!

I love authentic German gingerbread!!! LOVE it. Will eat my fill of it this December, when I am over there. :)

I might not even buy this years selection from the commissary.

Moni

We love a hot gingerbread cake with hot lemon sauce, especially on a cold night. We buy the boxed cake and a box of lemon jello to make the sauce.

Love gingerbread. My mother used to bake it, served it warm with lemon sauce. Yum!

Love it!
Gingerbread and gingersnaps! I don't have a recipe for either. We all know you can snag a recipe off of the web but if you have one close to your heart... geez, I would love to have it.
Marylin, please post your recipe!
Please?

Heh.. I'm a good beggar. :)

I LOVE World Market's Swedish Gingersnaps. They generally have the tin out by the register to sample during the holidays.

Here's one I have used:

Gingerbread

a 9X9X2 inch pan

preheat oven to 350 ( not really nessecary)

Put in a bowl:
1/2 cup margarine or butter (or use like me about a 1/3 cup crisco filled up to make a 1/2 cup with the added olive oil)
Add and beat well:
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Sift together ( here I just measured and used, did NOT sift):
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon each cinnamon and ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine:
1/2 cup light molasses
1/2 cup honey
1 cup hot water
(1 tablespoon grated orange rind)
Add the sifted and liquid ingredients alternately to the butter mixture until blended. Bake in a greased pan about 1 hour.

and another, but I don't remember if I ever made that one.

* Posted by marygailv on Sun, Dec 10, 06 at 18:23

I first used this recipe about 30 years ago when I was subscribing to the Farm Journal magazine.

GINGERBREAD DELUXE (Farm Journal recipe)

2 cups sifted flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
(sift together)

1/2 cup shortening, 2/3rds cup sugar, creamed together
2 medium eggs
2/3 cups molasses (light or dark)
3/4 cups boiling water

Beat in eggs one at a time, gradually add molasses, blend in flour at low mixer speed, lastly add water; mix until smooth.

Pour into well greased and floured 9" pan. Bake 350 degrees, 34-45 minutes
Delicious with applesauce and whipped cream

I love it but haven't made any in years.

OAH, this is my sister's recipe for ginger snaps. They have a "zing" to them (which I love). They get those little lines in them just like store-bought ;-) They are very hard to stop eating once you start! They're really good with cream cheese or pineapple cream cheese.

Annie's Ginger Snaps

3/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg
2 tsp. soda
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. ground clove
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon

Melt shortening. Add next 3 ingredients and beat well. Mix flour and soda with spices. Add to mixture. Chill overnight or a few hours. Form into balls, dip in granulated sugar and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Seems like we all have old gingerbread recipes. This one is at least 100 years old. When my mother was a child (she was born in 1913), their neighbor made what mother says is the best gingerbread ever. Must've been pretty good for her to remember all those years later. She happened to see that neighbor's daughter in town (the mother had long since passed) and asked her if she, by chance, had the recipe. She found it and sent it to mother. Be sure to read the note at the end.

Coconut Gingerbread

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. molasses
1 c. shredded coconut
3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/4 c. sour milk
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
Chopped nuts (optional)

Cream butter (shortening?) and sugar. Add eggs. Next add molasses and coconut, then flour, salt and spices sifted together. Stir soda into sour milk and add alternately with flour mixture. Bake at 350 until done. Ice with caramel icing.

Handwritten note: I have no oven temperature for this. When we used to bake it we built a fire and when the oven got hot enough we put in the gingerbread and it ususally turned out all right. I would be afraid to try that now so I set the oven according to a recipe of gingerbread (around 375). Good luck. So glad I found this. Thought it was lost. Mrs. V.

Not cookies and the cake MUST have a good white buttercream frosting!!! For me, the magic is all in the frosting.

Rockin'! Coming up on the Christmas season this is very timely. I always make chocolate chip cookies since the kids love them but I want to make gingersnaps from an old recipe.

Patti, like yourself I'm a zing lover with the snaps! I hesitate to use the description "burn" but it's not very far off of what I'm talking about.

Marilyn Sue? You can't post that and NOT give the recipe

Moni, you made it but was it good? It has to be good you know. (smile)

Sheesh, I hate when I type in bullets. :( I apologize, I'm a touch person and in print it's hard to do that.

I love it warm with the lemon sauce,but my sister uses my t fine pudding to make her sauce.I've never made it myself.Also love ginger snap cookies.
Kathi

This thread has reminded me of my favorite food that was served in the cafeteria all 4 yrs of high school. The line was waaayyy down the hall when they served gingerbread with caramel sauce. You also had to be on the lookout for line jumpers as on occasion they ran out before everyone could get some. No one wanted to be at the end of the line.

Shirley

OAH it was good. Otherwise I would have put something in my file, telling me not to bake it again. LOL

I love "good gingerbread".

Moni

Your a doll Moni,
It's going to get made and it will be fun checkin' it out. :)

I make a pudding cake similar to this one, from the Washington Post - it is HEAVEN on a plate:

Warm Gingerbread Pudding Cake
The Washington Post, September 17, 2009
Flour Girl

Course: Dessert
Summary:

This cake uses an interesting technique of pouring hot liquid over the batter before it goes into the oven. Odd as it is, the liquid turns into a lovely pudding-like layer on the bottom once it's baked. It is best served directly from the pan to preserve this layer.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

MAKE AHEAD: This cake is best served warm. If you do have leftovers, reheat them on LOW in the microwave.

Makes one 8-inch cake (6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup molasses (do not use extra-strong or blackstrap)
1 1/4 cups boiling water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons melted
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking oil spray.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper in a small bowl; mix well, then add the chopped crystallized ginger and stir to coat.

Whisk together the molasses and 1/2 cup boiling water in a separate bowl.

Combine the butter and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or an electric hand-held mixer. Beat on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes until fluffy, then add the egg and beat until incorporated. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed; beat the mixture until uniformly combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture; stir with a flexible spatula just to combine, then add the molasses mixture. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until all the ingredients are just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the brown sugar evenly over the top.

Whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of the just-boiled water and the 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a separate bowl. Pour the water-butter mixture over the brown sugar and batter in the pan, but do not stir. This liquid layer on top of the batter will look strange and wrong, but it's okay. Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake is cracked on top, set and spongy when lightly touched.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving straight from the pan.

OMG, Kay. That sounds way out of the ballpark. Thanks for posting the recipe!

Love it. Will have to copy these recipes. I used a recipe from a 19th.century cookbook one time, and it came out dark, solid(just enough), and delicious. Never have found that recipe again, and I have gone through all my cookbooks over and over.

Hmmmmmm I read through the posts, and was surprised no one said they like gingerbread (cake) with applesauce. That's my favorite way to eat it. Smothered with applesauce.

I dont remember eating real gingerbread I've made gingerbread cookies and like the new gingerbread pop tart but cant remember a cakelike gingerbread

I have never made it myself, always had it served with whipped cream. I've never heard of using chocolate icing or caramel sauce, but I am more than willing to try it!!!

I like it, but haven't eaten any in a long time. I also like the thin ginger cookies.

I make up the gingerbread cake batter at Christmas and make gingerbread waffles with whipped cream for breakfast. YUM!

Haven't thought about gingerbread in forever. Loved my Mother's recipe, but don't guess I have it any longer. :(

Now, I'm in the mood for gingerbread and ginger snaps! Yum!

Remembering doesn't count granlan.... even for a Trinity member! :)

I see that Kay's gingerbread recipe has chopped crystalized ginger in it. I'll have to try that as I always put lots of these in my ginger snaps. (Which I call ginger bends, as they're not really very hard and would bend before they snap!) I will also fiddle with the amount of spices put in as I like things a bit spicier than what recipes generally call for.

Nancy

I prefer just whipped topping on top. Now that I've opened this thread again this morning I must make some gingerbread.

GINGERBREAD
10 X 14 Pan...Preheated oven 350 degrees F...Baking time-40 to 45 minutes
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour-sifted before measuring
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 Cup shortening
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup sorghum molasses
1 Cup hot water
Sift flour with soda, salt and spices. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add beaten egg and molasses. Add sifted dry ingredients and hot water alternately. Beat until smooth. Pour into well-greased, floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. This gingerbread may be re-heated to serve hot.

This recipe is one I have had for over 50 years.

Sue

yes we both do, I have never made any gingerbread. But we do buy the cookies from time to time. Our recent trip to Costco they had these very nice metal cookie tins, tall copper colored with a nice sealing top, nice cookie jar filled with bags of gingersnap cookies. My husband had to have it. The cookies are good.

We had a dog once, Kassie, that dog LOVED some gingersnaps!The minute my husband got out the gingersnaps she was right there with her head in his lap.

Oh my, this has to be one of my favorites, right there up on top.....I am surprised, in reading through the recipes, no one used raisins.....My recipe is very much like Marilyn's but I also load it up with raisins and only dust it with powdered sugar......If I have enough molasses, I'm baking one this afternoon.....You really got my taste buds working.......

I don't think I've ever had gingerbread. Might have to try it!

I had to put sorghum molasses on my shopping list. I might have to make one for Amber's birthday that is coming up this month. They would not eat it if it had raisins in it I am afraid. I am not sure if the grocery even sells it any more. If they don't then I will probably go for one of the ones like Brer Rabbit ones if they still make that. Several different toppings too that I had never heard of using also. Anyone else have some recipes?

Sue

I like gingerbread, don't love it but like it a lot. when my children were growing up someone, maybe Betty Crocker, had a mix that included lemon sauce and we all loved it fresh out of the oven, still warm, for dessert.

During the holidays Starbucks has gingerbread biscotti that is really good.They are individually wrapped, not cheap, but I bought a bunch last year for stocking stuffer type gifts. They were good enough that I'll be there, probably the first of next month to see if they have them again.

I dont remember eating real gingerbread I've made gingerbread cookies and like the new gingerbread pop tart

correction It was a Pumpkin pop tart but reminded me of gingerbread

I do not like gingerbread at all. I can remember when I was a kid I was soooo excited to get a gingerbread man and I bit into it and YUCK, it was terrible! HAHAHA! I've never liked those particular spices.

I love Gingerbread with lemon sauce. One of the cooks at a nursing home I worked at as a teen made it and it was delish! She also made soft banana cookies to die for! Wish I had her recipes. Gonna try your gingerbread recipe Sue. Thanks for sharing.

Love Gingerbread! We like it best with Lemon Sauce! Its a comfort food to me, that and Apple Pie

The only molasses I ever have used is Grandma's. It's what my mother (who would be about 115 by now) taught me to use.
I don't even know if I know the difference between that an sorghum molasses is. Enlighten me, please.

Molasses and Sorghum - What is the difference?
The sorghum plant, which is a type of grass, was introduced into the United States
from Africa in the early part of the 17th century. Sorghum syrup is a natural sweetener
made by processing the juice that is extracted from the sorghum plant. Special milling
equipment extracts the juice from the crushed stalks, and evaporating pans with heating
units steam off the excess water leaving syrup. Sorghum syrup is produced primarily in
the United States and is used as a substitute for sugar. It tends to have a thinner
consistency and a slightly more sour taste than does molasses. Sorghum contains
vitamins and minerals and is a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, thiamin and
omega 6 fatty acids.
Molasses was also introduced to the United States during the 17th century when
traders started transporting it from the Caribbean to New England where much of it was
made into rum. Molasses was the most popular sweetener until the late 19th century
because it was more affordable than sugar. Molasses is the by-product of processing
sugar cane into sugar. The sugar cane plant is stripped of its leaves and the juice is
extracted from the cane by crushing or mashing. The juice is boiled to concentrate it,
which produces crystallization of the sugar. The result of the first boiling and removal of
the sugar crystals is called "first molasses" (mild) and is the sweetest tasting. "Second
molasses" (dark) is created from a second boiling and removal of sugar crystals.
"Blackstrap" is the result of a third boiling of the syrup. The darker molasses is
considered bittersweet. Sulfured molasses is made from young sugar cane - sulfur dioxide
is added as a preservative. Unsulfured molasses is made from mature sugar cane which
does not require a preservative. Molasses contains significant amounts of vitamins and
minerals and is a good source of calcium, magnesiumSor, potassium and iron.
Sorghum and molasses may be stored on the shelf for up to 2 years. Once they are
opened, they can be stored up to a year, if properly stored in the refrigerator to retard
mold growth. If mold growth does appear, the syrups should be discarded. If the syrups
crystallize, it does not cause any harm and the syrups can be liquefied by placing them in
a larger container of hot water until melted.
Sorghum and molasses are old-fashioned sweeteners - many people have grown up
using them. Molasses is the sweetener generally preferred for cooking and baking, while
sorghum is popular as a syrup.

I did not know the difference, but I looked this up online. I always liked sorghum molasses better as it seems more mild.

Sue

Love Gingerbread. Now I have to make a pan. LOL
Here's the recipe I use:

Gingerbread

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup light molasses
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup boiling water

Cream shortening and sugar until light. Add egg and molasses; beat thoroughly. Sift togther dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternately with hot water, beating well after each addition. Bake in greased and floured 8x8x2-inch pan at 350 for 35-40, or til toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream.

Thanks for that, Marilyn Sue.
I wonder what difference the consistency of the two make when baking with them. And also that the sorghum is said to be more sour than regular molasses. Hmmmmm.

Yes, I read that too Maxmom but I found it to be more mild as I have tried molasses in recipes and it does seem too robust for my taste. :) In the past some years they used to make sorghum molasses in a couple counties over from us and I was able to buy it in the local grocery, but no more. I always liked it on pancakes or french toast too.

Sue

My husband makes the BEST gingerbread cookies, however many of our friends stick up their noses at them. They don't know what they're missing. I love them.

LOVE, LOVE.... both the thin gingerbread cookies and the ginger bread!!! love how it makes my kitchen smell when baking... thanks everone for the recipies..

I like molasses crinkles too. Thanks everyone for the recipes, please post more if you have them.

Sue