Gingery Gingerbread with Lemon Curd

Recipe from Southern Living Magazine and Husband Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Yield: 12 servings.

I’ve had lots of gingerbreads before, but this one is my favorite. Just like the name promises, it’s really gingery. Be sure to serve this with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or Lemon Curd (recipe below) to balance the spicy ginger flavor. And don't forget a nice cup of fair trade coffee to go with it! Get all of the ingredients at Lost River Market & Deli, including local eggs, molasses and fair trade coffee!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup finely grated fresh ginger (peel the ginger first) or to save time and effort, you can use one 4.25 jar of chopped ginger
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup hot water

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg and molasses, beating until blended. Add fresh ginger, beating until blended.
Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with hot water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition; beat 1 additional minute or until very smooth. Pour batter into a greased 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Lemon Curd
3 lemons
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Finely grate enough zest from lemons to measure 2 teaspoons and squeeze enough juice to measure 1/2 cup. In a metal bowl whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs. Cut butter into 4 pieces and add to mixture. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook mixture, whisking occasionally, until thickened and smooth, about 20 minutes. Lemon curd may be kept, chilled and its surface covered with plastic wrap, 3 days. Serve lemon curd warm or chilled.