Warm and Gooey Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread instantly makes me think of the holidays. Gingerbread cookies, lattes and loaves are among some of my all time favourite holiday treats, and this gingerbread cake has become my favourite holiday dessert to make. I haven't met a person who doesn't love it. I made it yesterday afternoon while my daughter was napping and brought it to my supper club last night (which is made up of Registered Dietitians—and foodies—that I went to university with).

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We all fell in love with the White Water Cooks cookbook series a few years ago and decided to create a "White Water Cooks Supper Club" where we get together once a month or so. Everyone takes a turn hosting and we all bring a different course of the meal (I was in charge of dessert last night). Everyone was quite pleased when they found out which dessert I brought—it is a favourite among all of us. With just the right amount of sweetness, just-out-of-the-oven warmth, and the spicy flavours of the holidays, this easy-to-make cake is perfect for the holidays or the weeks leading up to. It is definitely dietitian-approved, not because it's healthy (because it's not really), but because it's amazingly delicious.

*No need to cut back on the amount of sugar because I already have a little bit.

Warm and Gooey Gingerbread Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Dry:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp ginger

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp each (nutmeg, allspice and cloves)

1/4 tsp salt

Wet:

1/4 cup butter (room temperature)

3 tbsp sugar

1 egg (room temperature), beaten

1/2 cup molasses mixed with 1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup-2/3 cup brown sugar

5 tbsp butter combined with 1 1/2 cups hot water

Directions (preheat oven to 350 F)

Grease a 9 inch oven-proof baking dish or 8 X 8 glass baking dish with butter or Pam

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl

Beat butter and sugar (the 3 tbsp) until well combined and the add the beaten egg and mix until just blended

Mix the dry mixture into butter/egg/sugar mixture, alternately with the molasses/water mixture. Blend well until smooth.

Transfer to your baking dish, sprinkle with brown sugar and then pour the butter/hot water mixture on top of that (carefully). There will be a lot of liquid on top!

Bake until crackled (about 35-40 minutes)

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Make sure you use a scoop instead of a knife and serve in bowls (with a dollop of good quality vanilla ice cream or real whip cream on top).

Modified from Mia's Warm Gingerbread Pudding Cake Recipe in the White Water Cooks With Friends Cookbook

Enjoy!