Full of warming spices like ginger and cinnamon, this gingerbread cake recipe is perfect for the holidays.
Serve topped with whipped cream for an extra-festive treat.
Why Gingerbread Reminds Me of Malcolm X
Gingerbread has long been a part of baking traditions.
Photo: Andrea Mathis
The first references to it appear in ancient Egypt and Greece, where it was used for ritual purposes.
It was popular in northern Europe and was thought to ease digestion.
The first American references to gingerbread appear in recipes from the first printed American cookbook: Amelia Simmons’American Cookery.
Andrea Mathis
This secondary form of gingerbread is the one I remember from my childhood.
My mother would bake a pan of it every year during the holiday season.
In 1995, when I publishedA Kwanzaa Keepsake, I included a recipe for this pop in of gingerbread.
While making the rounds for the book, I decided to bring some gingerbread.
One of the people who interviewed me was the late Betty Shabazz, Malcolm X’s widow.
She had baked it for him often.
Since that moment, I cannot eat the spicy cake without thinking of him.
Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with 12 tablespoon butter.
Pour molasses into a medium bowl and add boiling water.
Add flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine.
Cut into 9 squares and serve topped with whipped cream, if desired.
To make ahead:
Refrigerate cake in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
