This recipe is from Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. The granddaughter of an emancipated slave, Edna Lewis is considered the doyenne of Southern cooking, championing the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients and giving traditional dishes a refined touch. She met fellow chef Scott Peacock in the late 1980s and they became lifelong friends, sharing a deep dedication to preserving the dishes and details of classic Southern cooking.
The original recipe pairs it with whipped cream, go with that or the Yogurt Whipped Cream we suggest here.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, more for pan
2 cups cake flour, more for pan
¼ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 ½ cups dark molasses - 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 cup Greek whole milk yogurt
½ tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbsp caster sugar
Pinch of sea salt
Optional: ½ tsp fresh lemon zest
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch round baking pan. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Blend in spices and salt with a wire whisk.
- In a small pan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Melt 1/2 cup butter in it, then whisk water into flour mixture. Beat eggs and add to mixture, along with molasses. Whisk until well blended. Pour into pan.
- Bake 40-45 minutes or until a skewer plunged into center comes out with no trace of raw batter. Interior will be moist. Serve warm with Yogurt Whipped Cream.
- To make Yogurt Whipped Cream: Whip heavy cream on medium speed until you get soft peaks.
- Keep whipping, and add yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest (if using). Slowly add in sugar.
- Whip until peaks hold when you lift the whisk.
- Use immediately or store in refrigerator for several days.