Contest-Winning Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

  Desserts

I asked my mother-in-law for this recipe once I learned it's my husband's favorite. Now I bake it whenever he needs an extra-special treat. Spice cake topped with lemony sauce makes us both smile.

Contest-Winning Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

Average Rating: 4.222222

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling
YIELD: 20 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup hot water

  • LEMON SAUCE:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Dash salt
  • Dash nutmeg
  • 1 cup half-and-half cream
  • 2 large egg yolks, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat shortening, sugar, molasses and eggs until well blended. Combine next five ingredients; add to molasses mixture alternately with hot water.
  • 2. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  • 3. Meanwhile, for lemon sauce, combine first five ingredients in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
  • 4. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Gently stir in butter, lemon juice and zest, increasing juice if needed to thin sauce. Serve with warm cake. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece with about 1 tablespoon sauce: 283 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated fat), 46mg cholesterol, 304mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

Tags