Gingerbread

A plain molasses loaf gingerbread of the baking-powder era, written for cooks who already knew what the batter should look like. Two things need filling in: the oven and the spice.

• OvenNo temperature is given. For a dark molasses loaf, which browns fast, 325-350F for the stated hour is a safe reading; tent with foil if the top colors before the center sets.
• Pan"One loaf" is not specified; a standard modern loaf tin of about 9 by 5 inches, greased and floured, suits this quantity of batter. The same batter will fill an 8-inch square pan and bake in roughly 35-40 minutes.
• New Orleans molassesThis was the light-to-medium cane molasses of the domestic trade, not blackstrap. Use ordinary full-flavor unsulphured molasses; blackstrap is bitter and will overwhelm the spice.
• Spice quantity"Ginger or spice to taste" left the choice to the cook. Two teaspoons ground ginger is a fair baseline for this volume of batter, with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a quarter teaspoon of cloves if you want the fuller mixed-spice version.
• LeaveningTwo teaspoons of baking powder in 2-1/2 cups of flour is on the low side by current standards, and period baking powders were single-acting, giving up their gas on wetting rather than in the oven. The molasses is acidic, so a quarter teaspoon of baking soda stirred into the dry flour gives a better rise and a deeper brown color.
• Batter consistencyWith no milk or water in the list, this comes together as a thick, spoonable batter rather than a pourable one. That is characteristic of loaf gingerbread; if it is stiff enough to mound and hold its shape, a few tablespoons of hot water will loosen it without harm.
• Doneness and yieldA skewer in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. One loaf gives about 10 to 12 slices, and like most molasses cakes it improves wrapped overnight.