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Warm gingerbread cake
If you’re ever driving the cider route in Normandy, there’s a charming little restaurant in Cambremer called Au P’tit Normand that is a nice place to stop for lunch. Their warm pain d’épices (gingerbread) in calvados caramel sauce is the perfect comfort dessert. When I asked the owner about it, she replied, ‘Oh, I just threw it together. It’s just a standard pain d’épices—nothing special.’ Well, for me, it was pretty special, and this is my homage to it.
SERVES
12
Ingredients
Cake:
- 340 grams (2-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspooons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 220 grams (1-1/4 cups firmly packed) dark brown sugar
- 200 grams (2/3 cup) fancy molasses
- 140 grams (1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons) liquid honey
- 210 grams (1 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 335 grams (1-1/3 cups) boiling water
- Zest of 1 lemon
Sauce:
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) firmly packed) dark brown sugar
- 120 grams (1/2 cup) whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 2 tablespoons calvados (optional)
- Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Directions
Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray the baking dish with vegetable oil and line it with parchment paper. Put a kettle on to boil.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt and set aside.
- Place the brown sugar, molasses, and honey in a stand mixer bowl. Mix on medium speed for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the oil.
- Once incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer up to medium and mix for one minute.
- Add the eggs and mix until smooth and well incorporated.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the dry ingredients and the boiling water, alternating three parts dry with two parts water and beginning and ending with the dry. Scrape down the bowl between each addition. Add the lemon zest and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar and cook until dissolved. Slowly pour in the whipping cream and continue to cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and calvados if using.
- To serve the pain d’épices, cut out pieces while still warm and top generously with warm sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
