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Gingerbread Cake - Lebkuchen

Soft and moist, this is more like a spice cake with a predominant ginger emphasis. Ginger is a most versatile root. It is available pickled, powdered or ground, and raw, with each form offering a distinctly different flavoring from the others. This recipe uses all three types of ginger, resulting in a playful dance of flavors. Serve it with a dollop of sour or whipped cream for dessert, or warm and toasty for breakfast.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pickled ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon raw fresh ginger, grated
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, or the equivalent. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg and molasses. Beat in the flour and buttermilk, alternating a small amount at a time until well blended.

Fold in the pickled and fresh ginger. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the pan, on a rack, for 5 minutes.

Then remove the cake from the pan and set it on a rack to cool completely. Before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar sprinkled through a sieve or doily.