Gingerbread with Lemon Butter Sauce

Cake:

2 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter
¾ cup dark molasses
2 eggs

Sauce:
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
¼ cup lemon juice
Powdered sugar

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add molasses and sour cream. Mix well. Spoon batter into a greased 9”x13” baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, mix sugar, butter and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Pour boiling sauce over hot cake, immediately after removing from oven. Cut in squares or wedges and serve while still warm. Add whipped cream for topping.

**I also like to saute thinly sliced apples with sugar to serve with this cake. About 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar to one medium size apple. Peel and slice the apple thin, toss in a teflon pan with the sugar over medium/ med high heat until the sugar is carmelized.