This cake recipe from her great-great-grandmother was included in the cookbook that Mary Kilburn’s aunt gave her before Kilburn’s wedding in 1966. Her aunt had added the following note at the bottom of the recipe: “This can be served warm or cold, plain or with whipped cream. Or it can be cooled and iced. It was a roaring success at a Congregational Church supper, iced with a simple butter and confectioners’ sugar icing to which 3 generous tablespoons of rum had been added.”
Great-great-grandmother’s gingerbread
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 16 servings
1/2 cup each: vegetable shortening, packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons each: baking powder, ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cloves, ground allspice
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat shortening and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; add egg yolks. Beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes; set aside. Place molasses in a 2-cup or larger container. Add baking soda; stir in hot water gently (the mixture will fizz when the hot water is added).
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, cloves and allspice. Add about 3/4 cup of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; alternate with 1/2 cup of molasses mixture. Repeat until both mixtures have been added, beating thoroughly after each addition.
3. Beat egg whites in clean bowl (and with clean beaters) on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold whites into batter until just combined. Transfer batter to a greased and floured 8-inch-square baking pan. Bake until firm and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry, about 45 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
222 calories, 28% of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 26 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 159 mg sodium, 0.6 g fiber
