Warm Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• 9 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup butter (cubed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• heavy whipped cream (optional)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round or square pan and set it aside. (I used a 9-inch springform pan and it worked great)

2. 2

   In a large bowl or kitchen aid mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg until blended together.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the water.

4. 4

   Pour the cake into the 9-inch pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack.

5. 5

   In a medium-size saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Add the water and bring to a boil until the sauce starts to thicken for about 2 minutes. This is not a thick sauce, so it will be fairly runny. Remove from heat and stir in the cubed butter and vanilla until melted and smooth. Serve over warm cake with whipped cream.