Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Either spray a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish with baking spray, or grease it with butter and flour.
2. Combine the dry ingredients, whole wheat flour through salt, in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set to the side.
3. In a large bowl cream together the softened butter and brown sugar; a handheld mixer works well for this. Beat in the Greek yogurt, eggs, and molasses and mix for a good 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in half of the flour just until combined, and then mix in the boiling water. Then mix in the remaining flour.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the center of the cake springs back when touched, or a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Allow to the cake to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread the frosting evenly over the entire cooled cake, and then distribute the crystallized ginger over the frosted cake.

For the molasses cream cheese frosting:

1. In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add half of the confectioners’ sugar, as well as the molasses and cinnamon, and whisk until combined. Then beat in the remaining confectioners’ sugar until completely smooth.

Note: If you’re not a molasses nut, like I am, then omit the molasses and cinnamon in the frosting, and substitute the zest of one lemon instead.