Crazy Gingerbread (With Lemon Sauce)

This is one of my mom's old favorites, and I've made it many times too. It's similar to "Crazy Cake" which is chocolate but follows the same procedure. These recipes were popular in the 70's (in my neighborhood, anyway!). (I'm posting the Lemon Sauce recipe separately to keep those ingredients separate from the cake ingredients.)

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 9
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups flour, plus
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1  teaspoon ginger
• 1  tablespoon vinegar
• 6  tablespoons  oil
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 3⁄4 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. In an ungreased 8x8 inch pan, stir together all dry ingredients.
3. With a spoon, make three "wells" in the dry ingredients. In one "well" put the vinegar, in another the oil, and in the third the vanilla.
4. Mix the water and molasses in a separate bowl. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix quickly with a fork. Mix until lumps are gone, but do not beat.
5. Bake at 375º for about 30 minutes.
6. Cut and serve from baking pan, with lemon sauce, applesauce, or whipped cream.
7. See my recipe for "Lemon Sauce" at this site. The contrasting lemon flavor and moistness added by the sauce is what adds the finishing touch to this cake, making it suitable for a company dessert!