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Ginger Sponge Cakes
1 cup brown sugar 1 cup shortening 4 egg yolks, beaten 2 1/2 cups molasses 4 1/3 cups flour 2 teaspoons soda 2 tablespoons ginger 1 tablespoon cloves 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon allspice 1 cup cold water 4 egg whites, beaten stiff Cream the sugar and shortening together, add egg yolks and then molasses. Sift together the dry ingredients and add alternately with the cold water. Beat steadily for five minutes. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in well greased, deep muffin pan in a moderate oven (325 degrees F.). Makes 32 cakes.
A molasses gingerbread batter baked as individual cakes rather than in a loaf or sheet. The proportions are unusual by modern standards, so read the notes on spice and molasses before you scale anything.
- Oven temperatureThe recipe gives its own number, 325F, which is at the low end of "moderate." Molasses batters brown fast and scorch at the edges, so resist raising it.
- No baking time is givenDeep muffin cups of this batter generally need about 20 to 25 minutes at 325F. Test with a skewer in the centre cake, which will be the last to set.
- MolassesTwo and a half cups is a very large share of the batter and carries much of the sweetening. Use unsulphured baking molasses, not blackstrap, which is bitter and will dominate.
- Spice quantitiesA tablespoon each of cloves, cinnamon and allspice plus two of ginger is a forceful blend by modern standards. With fresh ground spice, halving the cloves and allspice gives a milder result.
- ShorteningIn American books of this period this generally means hydrogenated vegetable shortening, and sometimes lard. Butter can be substituted, though the crumb will be slightly firmer.
- Soda, not baking powderTwo teaspoons of soda is the leavening, reacting with the acid in the molasses and brown sugar. Mix and pan the batter promptly rather than letting it stand.
- The five minutes of beatingThe recipe directs steady beating for five minutes after the flour and water are in. With a stand mixer you will reach the same smoothness sooner; beating a floured batter longer than needed toughens the cake.
- Pans and yieldThirty-two cakes means filling deep muffin cups about two-thirds full, so you will bake in batches unless you have three pans. Grease well; molasses batters stick, and paper liners are easier.