Cholly's World-Famous Gingerbread Cake

Notes: This dark, moist cake is a favorite of guests at the Vista Verde Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where it's cut into rounds and set on a pool of custard sauce. You can make the cake up to 2 days ahead; cool, cover, and store airtight at room temperature.

Yield: Makes 9 or 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1  cup  dark molasses
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 2 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  baking powder
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground cloves
• 1/2  cup  (1/4 lb.) butter, at room temperature
• 1  cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 2  large eggs
• Crème anglaise
• Unsweetened cocoa and/or powdered sugar (optional)
• Fresh mint sprigs (optional), rinsed

Preparation

1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in molasses and baking soda. After mixture stops foaming, stir in 1/2 cup cold water; let cool to room temperature, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.

3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs until blended. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add flour and molasses mixtures alternately until incorporated, then beat on high speed until well blended. Pour into a buttered and floured 9-inch square pan.

4. Bake in a 325° regular or convection oven until a toothpick inserted in center of thickest part comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack at least 1 1/4 hours.

5. Pour about 1/4 cup crème anglaise onto each plate. Cut cake into pieces (see notes) and set them in sauce on plates. If desired, lightly sift cocoa and/or powdered sugar over each plate and garnish with a mint sprig. Offer remaining crème anglaise to add to taste.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

378 (26% from fat)

Protein:

4.7g

Fat:

11g (sat 6.3)

Carbohydrate:

67g

Fiber:

0.9g

Sodium:

526mg

Cholesterol:

68mg

Executive Chef Jonathon Gillespie, Executive Chef Jonathon Gillespie, Sunset, DECEMBER 2002