Warm Ginger Cake Spread with Spiced Apple Butter

Warm ginger cake, dark with molasses and fragrant cinnamon, is sliced thick and spread with spiced apple butter. It echoes Copper Over the Orchard Fire, when Pennsylvania German kettles kept talking after the cider press went quiet.

Serves 8

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups spiced apple butter

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. 2Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. 3In a separate bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar, then beat in the molasses, egg, and buttermilk until smooth.
4. 4Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
5. 5Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. 6Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm with a generous layer of spiced apple butter spread on top.