Gingerbread With Pecan Bourbon Topping

Source: The Seattle Times

Gingerbread:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup unsulphered molasses
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup hot coffee
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) -- at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Topping:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon bourbon or rum
1/2 cup powdered sugar -- sifted
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
Sweetened whipped cream

To prepare the gingerbread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the molasses, boiling water and coffee in a measuring cup and set aside to cool. Stir in the baking soda. Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves. Set aside. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat 1 minute on medium speed. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the molasses mixture in three parts, mixing
well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake the cake 25 minutes, or until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the pan cool slightly on a wire rack. Then pierce with a wooden skewer, making holes a little less than an inch apart. To prepare the topping: In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, corn syrup and bourbon, stirring until melted and well blended. Remove from the heat and beat in the powdered sugar. Stir in the pecans. Spread evenly over the gingerbread. Let the topping cool completely before cutting. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Makes 12 servings