RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Tender Gingerbread Cake

Many foods are associated with Christmastime, but none are perhaps as familiar as gingerbread. Although gingerbread's slightly spicy and warming tang is often enjoyed in cookie form or baked into panels used to create gingerbread houses, the spice combination of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon can impart a delicious flavor to cakes as well.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup packed muscovado sugar

(dark brown works great)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup plain full-fat Greek

or plain yogurt

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup molasses

Garnishes

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup pomegranate arils

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9-by-9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Cream the sugar, butter, and vanilla on low speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until just incorporated, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and gently fold the yogurt into the batter.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together in a separate bowl.

In a third bowl, mix the hot water and molasses.

Mix the dry ingredients into the batter in 3 additions, alternating with the hot molasses water. Do not overmix.

Pour batter into your lined pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is well baked. Allow the gingerbread to cool, then dust with confectioners' sugar and pomegranate arils. This cake is also lovely with cream cheese icing! Serve and enjoy.