No human-shaped cookie cutters, no problem. This recipe, inspired by the gingerwomen of the South, swaps molasses for sorghum syrup, a sauce with a unique, buttery flavor that elevates this spiced cake to another level.
Featuring black pepper and coffee blended with marmalade and cinnamon, the cake boasts a wonderfully complex flavor. But not just any marmalade will do. A bitter version, like Bonne Maman’s orange marmalade, is a better option than sweet. You’ll get back some of that sweetness when you lightly dust the top of the baked cake with confectioners’ sugar.
This dessert comes from When Southern Women Cook, a newly released compilation of recipes inspired by the chefs and home cooks who shaped culinary traditions of the region. See other holiday recipes from the cookbook here and here.
Recipe courtesy of