SRC: Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream

Oooh!  I love the Secret Recipe Club!  Every month I'm assigned the most amazing blogs.  This month, I got to snoop around 365 Days of Baking.  Lynne started her blog with the goal to bake everyday for 365 days.  (Hence the name.)  We must be kindred spirits because I started blogging with a goal to cook outdoors in my dutch oven everyday for a year.  So I know how hard it is to keep up with life and still bake and blog everyday.  My hat is off to her!

There were so many great recipes on Lynne's blog to choose from.  My Pinterest secret board is filled with great stuff.  Things like Banana Tres Leches Cake, Pineapple Bread, Root Beer Float Cake and Baked Strawberry Waffles.  But interestingly, the first recipe that caught my eye was the one I couldn't stop thinking about trying.  It really didn't matter what else there was, I only had eyes for Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream.

And, ooh, ooh, ooh this gingerbread is unbelievable!  I'm the kind of gal that doesn't eat gingerbread just at Christmas.  I love it year round.  But unfortunately for all the other gingerbread out there, I only have taste buds for this one now.  The gingerbread itself is fantastic with a rich molasses flavor, but the lime cream....  There aren't even words to describe what it does for this cake.  It's a miracle that there was any left to serve with the cake because I was eating it by the spoonful.  Y.U.M.  This is a definite must try recipe.  Trust me!

Just a note or two to make this easier to make.  First, be very careful when you add the baking soda mixture to the molasses mixture.  If you like uber sticky stove top, then by all means use a small pan, add it quickly and don't stir.  And lastly, there is no way on earth-- no matter how much butter or shortening and flour you prepare the pan with-- that cake is coming out of the pan in one piece.  It ain't happening, so just be prepared to serve it out of the pan it is baked in.  I mean really, it has a full cup of molasses in it, what else can you expect?

Now on to the amazing deliciousness!

Molasses Gingerbread with Lime Cream
Serves 9

     ¼ pound (1 stick) butter, plus more for buttering the pan
     1 cup sugar
     3 eggs
     2 cups flour
     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     1 teaspoon ground cloves
     2 teaspoons baking soda
     1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)  
     1 cup unsulfured molasses
     2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
     Lime Cream

     Preheat oven to 350ºF, and butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

     Melt the stick of butter, pour into a large bowl, and allow it to cool slightly.  Beat the sugar and eggs into the butter.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and grated ginger.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan.  Using a wooden spoon, stir the molasses and soda solution into the water.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the sugar and the eggs, then stir in the molasses mixture.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, testing for doneness with a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake (it should pull out clean and free of batter).

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake, invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.  Cut into squares and serve with Lime Cream.

 Lime Cream

     2 eggs
     ½ cup sugar
     1/3 cup fresh lime juice
     Zest of 1 lime, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
     4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cut into small pieces
     1 cup heavy cream

     In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the eggs and sugar at high speed until double in volume and light in color.  Lower the speed and blend in the lime juice and zest.

Pour the egg mixture into a medium metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering water (or a double broiler).  Cook over high heat, whisking often, until smooth, very thick, and custard like (about 20 minutes).

Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is fully incorporated.  If the final mixture is lumpy, strain though a fine sieve.  Otherwise, cool to room temperature.

Using an electric mixer or a wire whisk, whip the heavy cream into soft peaks.  Gently fold a fourth of the whipped cream into the lime curd.  Then fold in the remaining whipped cream.