Soft Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup lingonberry jam or fresh or frozen cranberries (optional)
• powdered sugar, to serve

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch square pan and dust it with fine breadcrumbs or flour.
2. Whisk the flour, spices, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar, then the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients until no streaks remain. Gently swirl in the lingonberry jam or scatter in the berries.
5. Scrape into the pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then turn out. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

TipIt's even better the next day; wrap it well and the spices deepen and the crumb gets moister.