This dark, moist gingerbread 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.
Ingredients for the cake:
- 1 cup dark molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Unsweetened cocoa and/or powdered sugar (optional)
- Fresh mint springs (optional), rinsed
Ingredients for crème anglaise (see Note at bottom for alternatives):
- 1 quart milk
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 8 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
How to make the cake:
- 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.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.
- 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.
- 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.
- Next, make the crème anglaise. Start with a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium heat, stir milk and sugar often until mixture begins to bubble around edges of pan, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into egg yolks, then pour mixture into pan and whisk to blend. Stir with a flexible spatula over medium-low heat until custard coats the spatula in a smooth, velvety layer, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer set over a bowl. Set bowl in a container of ice water and stir often until cool. Stir in vanilla. Serve cool or cold.
- 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.
Note: This cake would also go great with a simple cream cheese frosting like this one.
Check out more of our recipes created and curated by our wonderful chefs at the ranch here. Last year, Chef Jonathon even put together a fabulous list of Thanksgiving wine recommendations. Be sure to check it out for your holiday feasts.