gingerbread cake with basil vinegar and currants

Spring has sprung ! The horses are grazing on drier pastures, the apple orchards are blooming and scattering petals, looking all the world like wedding confetti; and it's my friend Mr. B's birthday.

Because he has spent so much time in England, I've noticed he enjoys somewhat old-fashioned bakery goods - oatmeal cookies, raisin scones, - and cakes like this spicy gingerbread. The recipe comes from an old NY Times cookbook, when Craig Claibourne was editor. Because it calls for vinegar ( you can also use lemon juice) to make the sour milk for the batter, I use it as an opportunity to plunder my supplies of homemade herb vinegars, from chili pepper-oregano to basil, from lemon verbena to rosemary-lovage. I decided to go with the basil today. I also made a thin glaze with a little milk, lemon juice, and confectioner's sugar, just to fancy it up a little. At the last minute, I remembered he liked currants, so I tossed a handful into the batter.

Wherever you are, I hope you're enjoying the spectacular show Mother Nature is putting on!

To make one 9 inch cake:

~

Grease a 9x2 inch cake pan and set aside. If you use a different size, make sure you fill pan up only 3/4ths of the way to avoid spillover.

Preheat oven to 350F.

~

1 T. herb vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice

3/4 cup milk

2 cups sifted flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. kosher salt

1 T. ginger

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/3 cup canola oil or other mild oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup or more dried currants

~

Add vinegar to milk and set aside until it curdles.

Beat the oil with the sugar, then the egg, then the molasses.

Add the flour, baking powder and soda, the spices, and the salt, and then pour in the by-now soured milk. Mix slowly until thoroughly mixed, then add the currants and mix well.

Scrape into prepared pan and place on upper third shelf of the oven.

Bake approximately 40 minutes, or until the center rebounds when gently pressed in the center.

let cool completely, then unmold to another cooling rack.

Eat as is, or with confectioner's sugar, or a thin milk glaze:

~

In small bowl, mix a tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 2 T. milk.

Quickly whisk in enough confectioner's sugar to make a thin icing.

Pour on cake and spread quickly.

~

What I'm reading:

A hilarious guide to London - in 1599!

Shakespeare's London on 5 Groats a Day
and a fabulous little treasure:

The Elegance of the Hedgehog