American Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce Recipe

225 g/8 oz/1 cup caster (superfine) sugar

50 g/2 oz/¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

30 ml/2 tablespoons black treacle (molasses)

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

225 g/8 oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

5 ml/1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

5 ml/1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2.5 ml/½ teaspoon ground cloves

1.5 ml/¼ teaspoon ground ginger

A pinch of salt

250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup buttermilk

For the sauce:

100 g/4 oz/½ cup caster (superfine) sugar

30 ml/2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)

A pinch of salt

A pinch of grated nutmeg

250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup boiling water

15 g/½ oz/1 tablespoon butter or margarine

30 ml/2 tablespoons lemon juice

2.5 ml/½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

Method:

Mix together the sugar, butter or margarine and treacle. Stir in the egg whites. Mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt. Stir the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately into the butter and sugar mixture until well blended. Spoon into a greased and floured 20 cm/8 in cake tin (pan) and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to finish cooling. The cake can be served cold or warm.

To make the sauce, mix the sugar, cornflour, salt, nutmeg and water in a small pan over a low heat and stir until well blended. Simmer, stirring, until the mixture is thick and clear. Stir in the butter or margarine and lemon juice and rind and cook until blended. Pour over the gingerbread to serve.