pain d'epice

I blame my family for my obsession with food. It is their fault that I am working in the restaurant industry, and the fact that I always make way too much food for dinner. My brother holds a large part of this responsibility. He introduced me to foods, without exaggeration, that changed my life-mole and Kashi. I eat a Kashi product everyday and I wish I could eat mole everyday. (in the form of an Orale Orale burrito please) I would like to give a shout-out, on his birthday, to him and his lovely family.

My family lives on the West Coast, so it makes celebrations like birthdays a bit sad for me. Eventhough birthdays loose their luster as we grow older, we can always look forward to the birthday cake. Old school favorites come to mind. Who can resist a Carvel Ice cream cake? Drawing inspiration from the fall season and the beauty of the foliage, I would like to offer a gingerbread cake. It may seem a bit unorthodox, but paired with a cream cheese frosting it makes a delightful alternative to a mundane sheet cake. The aroma of the spices and deep caramel color will get you in the mood for the upcoming holidays and cold weather.

Cette recette est vraiment simple mais ca gout mieux le lendemain.

Gingerbread (yield one 8-inch cake or 9 cupcakes)

1 2/3 C. all purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. ground ginger
1 t cinnamon
1 /4 t. ground cloves
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
3 oz. butter
1/2 C. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 C. molasses
1 egg
2/3 C. boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or spray an 8-inch cakepan. In a large mixing boel, sift the dry ingredients. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Lower the speed and add the molasses scraping down the sides. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour in 3 portions, alternating with the boiling water. Beat the ingredients just until they are evenly incorporated. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top of the cake springs back when touched, about 30-35 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan then invert it onto a rack to finish cooling.