Categories: Cakes 
      Yield: 12 servings 
  
      1 x  -Dottie Cross TMPJ72B               1 ts Ground cinnamon 
      8 tb Unsalted butter; at room          1/2 ts Ground allspice 
      1 x  -temperature                      1/2 ts Ground nutmeg 
    1/2 c  Sugar                             1/2 ts Salt 
      2 ea Large eggs                        1/4 ts Ground cloves 
      1 x  Grated zest of 1 orange             1 c  Unsulfured molasses 
  2 1/2 c  Sifted all-purpose flour            1 c  Boiling water 
      2 ts Baking soda                         1 x  Confectioners' sugar; 
      2 ts Ground ginger                       1 x  -for dusting 
  
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking 
  pan. Using a hand-held electric mixer set at high speed, beat the butter 
  until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until light in color 
  and texture, about 2 additional minutes. Beat in the eggs and orange zest. 
  Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and 
  cloves onto a piece of waxed paper. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, combine 
  the molasses and boiling water. Alternately in thirds, beat in the flour 
  and molasses mixtures. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until 
  a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, and the 
  cake is shrinking from the sides of the pan, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand on 
  a wire cake rack for 5 minutes. Place the confectioners' sugar in a sieve 
  and dust over the top of the cake. Serve the cake warm or completely 
  cooled.  Makes 12 to 16 servings. Source: "An Edible Christmas" (A Treasury 
  of Recipes for the Holiday) by Irena Chalmers. Reformatted by: CYGNUS, 
  HCPM52C