Cholly's World-Famous Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup firmly brown sugar packed
• 0.3 lb butter at room temperature
• 10 servings crème anglaise 
• 1 cup blackstrap molasses dark
• 2 large eggs 
• 2.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground cloves 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• hand mixer
• toothpicks

Directions

1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring 1 cup water to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and stir in molasses and baking soda. After mixture stops foaming, stir in 1/2 cup cold water; let cool to room temperature, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.
4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs until blended. Reduce speed to medium-low.
5. Add flour and molasses mixtures alternately until incorporated, then beat on high speed until well blended.
6. Pour into a buttered and floured 9-inch square pan.
7. Bake in a 325 regular or convection oven until a toothpick inserted in center of thickest part comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
8. Let cool in pan on a rack at least 1 1/4 hours.
9. Pour about 1/4 cup crme anglaise onto each plate.
10. Cut cake into pieces (see notes) and set them in sauce on plates. If desired, lightly sift cocoa and/or powdered sugar over each plate and garnish with a mint sprig. Offer remaining crme anglaise to add to taste.