Gingerbread makes everything perfect!

By Michelle Plummer of Winners Drink Milk

Ginger has long been used to help soothe tummy upset, helps with digestion and is considered an antioxidant spice.  Ginger can be used to make tea, included in spicy food dishes to help balance both flavor and digestion, and is a perfect ending to a hearty Hoosier dinner.  Ginger is the spice that comes to mind during autumn.

When I was growing up, my Grandma made perfect little ginger snap cookies.  Each one was perfect for dunking and had a bit of chewy ginger bite.  They were perfect with a jelly jar glass of milk.

I tried to make them, and they all ran together- not my finest culinary moment! I moved to gingerbread men, but soon realized- it took too much time to roll out, cut, bake, and decorate to finally enjoy the tasty treats. I am not a patient cook!

Alas, what I have found is the love of cake- two bowls, one beater, easy to make, with the aroma of ginger, clove, cinnamon and molasses perfuming the house while the oven does its magic to transform a pourable batter into a warm and comforting treat.

Powdered sugar is one way to decorate this bronze orb (I bake mine in a Bundt  pan), but I like the flavor of lemon with ginger a bit better, so I make a glaze of Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest (don't measure, just make the glaze to taste).

Cider- Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Yogurt Glaze

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg white
• 3/4 cup grated apple
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest of one lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt cake pan
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife
4. Combine flour with next 5 ingredients and sift into a large mixer bowl.
5. Combine next 5 ingredients in a second bowl; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; beat until well blended. Fold in grated apple.
6. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees fro 55 minutes or until a woden skewer inserted into center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto cooling rack and cool completely.
8. Make Glaze:
9. Combine powdered sugar, yogurt, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl. Add a bit of milk here is glaze is too thick. After cake is cooled; drizzle glaze over cake OR serve on plate next to a slice of cake.