I recently came across a recipe tin at my local antique shop, filled with handwritten desserts, delicate newspaper clippings, and a small bundle of stickers scripted with “from the kitchen of Mrs. Hamilton” still waiting to be used.
The tin is dated 1943. Mrs. Hamilton scripted her full name and the quaint town in Massachusetts in which she resided, tucking this bit of information into the underside of the lid. It’s as if she knew this tin would find its way to someone else one day, and she offered a brief nod to the future.
While it appears Mrs. Hamilton had a particular fancy for chiffon cakes, I sought her Christmas desserts first, and decided to bake a cake called, “My Best Gingerbread.” An incredibly tender and gently spiced classic Christmas recipe. Lucky for us, now we can call it our best gingerbread cake, too.
My romantic mind likes to believe this recipe dates back even earlier than 1943, passed down to have perfumed many homes over the holiday season. Perhaps.
My family and I love it and are grateful to give it new life again. I’ll be making this again before Christmas, to have on hand when friends and family stop in during the holiday.
Gingerbread in History
An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread. —William Shakespeare, “Love’s Labor’s Lost”
I was surprised to learn how far back gingerbread can be traced. The first known recipes date back to Greece and Egypt around 2400 BC, when it was used for ceremonial purposes. By the 11th century, gingerbread makes its appearance in Europe when the Crusaders returned with ginger from the Middle East for cooks to experiment with in the kitchens of the wealthy.
In time though, ginger and other spices became more accessible and affordable to all, and gingerbread caught on by the masses. In America, during the revolution, George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, had a favorite gingerbread cake recipe she served to the Marquis de Lafayette when he visited her in Fredericksburg. It came to be known as Lafayette Gingerbread, and the recipe can still be found online.
How to Serve
While Mrs. Hamilton’s 1943 gingerbread cake is good enough to stand on its own, we love it most with two different toppings. Our most reliable go-to is 2 tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of maple syrup melted together (bring it to a quick boil and then simmer and stir to emulsify), tastes like caramel and a little drizzle is just perfect, as it cools it will thicken up even more; feel free to double or triple the recipe and finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar, if you’d like. Or, we like a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, recipe provided below.
Share with me on Instagram
If you give this treat a try, don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram, I’d love to see! Make sure to tag me @chasingtheseasons so I don’t miss it!
Disclosure: As a way of supporting Chasing the Seasons, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement, recommendation, and/or link to any product(s). That support allows me to continue to share my recipes with you. I only recommend products that I love and/or personally use or are similar to the products I use – all at no additional cost to you. I sincerely appreciate all the love that has been given to this little blog of mine. Thank you.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 ½ cups flour, sifted
- 1 ½ tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup hot water
(Optional) Cinnamon & Cream Cheese Frosting *See Notes*:
- 1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, ground
Instructions
- Paper line or grease a 8.5x11x2-in. (27.9×21-cm) baking pan, or one of a similar size.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. (177 C.). In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the beaten egg.
- Measure and sift the dry ingredients.
- Combine the molasses and hot water.
- Add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid, a small amount at a time. Beating after each addition.
- Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake, it should come out clean. Makes 16 portions. Serve as-is, or with warm butter, powdered sugar, or cinnamon and cream cheese frosting, recipe below.
- For the Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional):
- Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the vanilla. Mix to combine all the ingredients using the paddle attachment. (Can make using electric beaters, too).
- In a separate bowl add the cinnamon and powdered sugar together, mix to combine.
- Add the powdered sugar mixture into the bowl, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition and tasting as you go to best determine the desired sweetness and consistency, noting that you might not want to use all of it.
Notes
© chasingtheseasons. All images & content are copyright and trademark protected. Please do not use my photography without prior written permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.
