Gingerbread with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

[Sorry!  No photo -- but you probably know what gingerbread looks like.]

You'll need:

• 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened (probably could use salted and then omit the salt)
• 1 c sugar
• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 1 c milk
• 1 c molasses (don't use blackstrap, just regular ol' molasses from the grocery store)
• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1 T ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x13" baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit (or just make sure you grease the pan really well!)

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add the beaten eggs and mix well.  Add the milk and molasses.

Sift the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients and beat well.  Pour batter into the prepared pan.

this is a good one, if you have TJs nearby

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the gingerbread begins to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan.  Let cool before serving.

I like to make a quick cream cheese-lemon curd frosting to make this gingerbread really special:

Mix together really well:

• 1 pkg cream cheese, softened
• lemon curd, to taste -- about half a jar or so?

Spread this yummy mixture on the gingerbread -- trying really hard not to eat too many spoonfuls straight from the bowl. With the addition of the frosting this gingerbread is best cold so store it in the fridge until ready to serve!

p.s. If you wanna get all pretty and fancy (and you happen to have a lemon in your fridge), you can sprinkle fresh lemon zest on top. Yum!

Gingerbread recipe source: Beat This! Cookbook
Frosting source:  unknown, saw somewhere online...