Lots of spices and flavors go into this recipe to make a delightfully, delicious, warm fall dessert full of autumn flavors. Molasses, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger pair wonderfully with the fluffy lemon sauce!
This wonderful cake was a family favorite from my childhood. The way I remember it is that my mother would just make it on random nights, mostly in the fall and winter. It was not associated with any special holiday or a birthday, she just made it periodically. It was always served warm, or at least at room temperature, but the sauce was always warm. I think the cake is naturally a bit dry, so encourage your guests to be generous with the sauce. It just soaks into the cake so that it practically melts in your mouth.
Looking for a fall dessert, but not this one? Consider these:
- Pears with Honey Caramel, Pine Nuts, and Artisanal Cheese
- Rum Cake
- Pecan Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Gingerbread Cake with Warm Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
Cake
- â…“ cup shortening
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- â…” cup molasses light or dark
- 2 cup flour
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp ginger ground
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cloves ground
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Lemon Sauce
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- â…› txp nutmeg ground
- 1 cup water boiling
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 egg beaten well
Instructions
- Grease and flour a bundt pan or 9" x 9" square baking dish. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream shortening and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg and molasses; whisk thoroughly.
- Sift all dry ingredients and spices together in small bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture alternately with the buttermilk, about 1/3 at a time. Remember to start and end with the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth after each addition.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Lemon Sauce
- While cake is baking, make the lemon sauce. Or, if you make the cake early in the day, try to make this closer to dinner time to keep warm.
- In a small saucepan mix the sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg. Gradually pour over the boiling water stirring constantly. Cook about 1 minute or until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
- Add butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest, blend thoroughly. Stir a little of the sauce into the beaten egg, then add the egg mixture to the saucepan and combine thoroughly.
- Serve the cake with a generous helping of sauce drizzled on top of each slice.