Cooking for Christmas - Gingerbread Cake

I have always wanted to make a gingerbread cake. I just hadn't gotten around to it.  So when the chance to bring a cake to a potluck came my way, I knew the time had come.

Now to find the right recipe.

"No big deal?", you say - if you are foodie crazy researching recipes,comparing and contrasting, asking your foodie friends - all part of the process.  I knew I wanted to make a cream cheese frosting so that helped a bit and when I saw this recipe, I knew it was the one!

The biggest issue I had was getting the cake to set without overcooking - and I think I missed the mark by about 3-5 minutes.  It was a tiny bit dry, although I was the only one to think so.  It makes a great presentation having being cooked in a pretty bundt pan, then cutting in and seeing the beautiful creamy ring in the center.  It was the perfect level of ginger and spice to cake.  My only change was to make a drizzles containing cream cheese for the top instead of the one printed.

Cheese Filled Gingerbread Bundt Cake (Taste of Home Magazine)

• 8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 egg

• CAKE
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger 
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup molasses

• GLAZE
• 1 cup icing sugar (confectioners, powdered,10 X)
• 1 - 2 Tbls milk 

Beat together filling ingredients till smooth. Set aside.  

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and ginger. In another bowl beat the eggs, milk, oil and molasses until smooth.  Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.

Spoon 1/3 of the batter into a greased and floured 10" bundt pan.  Top with cheese mixture.  Carefully spoon remaining batter over top and spread carefully.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Mix together the icing sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.  Drizzle over bread and store in the fridge.