Summer Reading: Taste the World

TasteWorld_SM

This English Lemon Ginger Molasses cake will be featured in our June After Hours program.

Summer Reading: Taste the World
Saturday, June 20
7PM | Online

Travel the world from your very own kitchen in this month’s digital after hours activity for the whole family. Follow along on the Orem Library Facebook page with Chef Christian Olsen from the hit TV show Chopped Junior as he teaches you how to make a recipe from another country. Earn a Summer Reading badge for your team when you complete this activity. Sign up for Summer Reading at read.orem.org.

Thoughts from Christian Olsen:
This recipe is one of my all time favourites! The lemon and crystallized ginger really add a lot of zing to an otherwise plain molasses cake. And the flavour is very well balanced as it is not too sweet or heavy. This also keeps very well, wrapped up and refrigerated, or even frozen for up to a week!

English Lemon Ginger Molasses Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (orange zest is also delicious)
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ⅓ cup small-diced crystallized ginger

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan, line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, the molasses, and the lemon zest and mix until combined. (the batter may look curdled)
  3. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, scraping down the sides. Mix until smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in the crystalized ginger.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick just comes out clean. Don’t overbake it! Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely. 
  5. For serving, eat as is, or spread the top with whipped cream and lemon zest to really put it over the top!