Creole Gingerbread With Lime Cream - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the cake
1/4 lb unsalted butter, plus
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, for buttering pan
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 cup unsulphured molasses
2 teaspoons baking soda, dissolved in
2 tablespoons hot water
For the Lime Cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 lime, zest of, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream

Preparation

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
Melt the butter, pour into a large bowl and allow it to cool slightly. Beat the sugar and eggs into the butter.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, dry baking soda and grated ginger.
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, stir the molasses and the baking-soda solution into this water.
Whisk the dry ingredients into the sugar and eggs, then stir in the molasses mixture.
Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake pulls out cleanly, about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake and invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the lime cream:
Whip the eggs and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment until the mixture doubles in volume and has a light color. Lower the speed and blend in the lime juice and zest.
Pour this mixture in the top of a double boiler (or into a medium metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering water). Cook over high heat, whisking often until smooth , very thick and custard-like.
Remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until it is fully incorporated.
Cool to room temperature.
Using an electric mixer or wire whisk, whip the heavy cream into soft peaks. Gently fold a fourth of the whipped cream into the lime curd. Then fold in the remaining cream.
To serve:
Cut the cooled cake into squares and top with a generous dollop of lime cream.