Gingerbread: Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite
And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.
William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost
Gingerbread is one of my personal favorite holiday cakes. I love a warm-from-the-oven piece of gingerbread with the rich taste of molasses throughout and subtle, fragrant hints of spices. It’s like a hug for your taste buds!
Ginger traces its winding roots back to ancient China. When ginger was brought along the Silk Road and spice routes to Europe, an early version of the recipe for gingerbread came along too. The term “gingerbread” use to simply mean “preserved ginger”. Throughout its long history, gingerbread has come in many forms from hard cakes or cookies to soft squares of cake. The varieties of sweetener and different spices used were endless, everything from molasses to honey to sorghum and from rosewater, lemon, cloves and nutmeg to black pepper!
By the Middle Ages, Europe, especially the northern European countries such as Germany and Sweden, were making gingerbread with their own recipes. There were gingerbread fairs and even a gingerbread guild in Germany in the 15th century that guarded the production and recipes.
Later, gingerbread became a popular item to take to sea as an aid to digestion. Sort of like taking ginger candy or dried ginger on a car ride or plane flight nowadays. Ginger has always been known for its ability to settle the stomach.
Gingerbread came to America by way of England with the colonists. It was a very popular dessert in Colonial America especially among children. It was also served often after what were called Muster Days, days when the colonial militias got together to practice their military exercises on the village green. One of the first recipes for gingerbread was found in Amelia Simmon’s cookbook.
Gingerbread continued to be a popular holiday treat right through to the American Civil War. It was a wonderful item for the mothers at home to ship to their sons, fathers, husbands and brothers wherever they were fighting as gingerbread keeps well. It is said that gingerbread was one of the 16th President’s, Abraham Lincoln’s, favorite foods.
For years now, my family has had a recipe for an old gingerbread layer cake that my mom copied down with the inscription that it was one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorites. With a few tweaks that I have made, I hope it will be a favorite of yours too! The molasses in the cake makes it feel very much of the Civil War days as molasses was a very popular sweetener in the South then and in America in general. If you would prefer a lighter and more Medieval Ages style gingerbread cake, leave out the molasses and double the honey.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour well two 8 inch cake pans.
Combine honey and spices in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it boils, remove from the heat and cool.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the baking soda and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
Add the egg and molasses to the creamed butter and mix well.
Add in the cooled spiced honey mixture and stir gently.
Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively to the butter mixture beginning and ending with the flour until all is incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pans and bake for about 30 - 35 mins.
Once the cakes are cooked and completely cooled, turn them out and spread with the whipped cream.
Decorate with candied orange or lemon peel, chocolate shavings or a dusting of spices.
Serve immediately and keep any leftovers in the refrigerator tightly covered.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour well two 8 inch cake pans.
Combine honey and spices in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it boils, remove from the heat and cool.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the baking soda and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
Add the egg and molasses to the creamed butter and mix well.
Add in the cooled spiced honey mixture and stir gently.
Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively to the butter mixture beginning and ending with the flour until all is incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pans and bake for about 30 - 35 mins.
Once the cakes are cooked and completely cooled, turn them out and spread with the whipped cream.
Decorate with candied orange or lemon peel, chocolate shavings or a dusting of spices.
Serve immediately and keep any leftovers in the refrigerator tightly covered.
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