Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper and mustard powder = intensity.

I would name this ginger cake instead. If any evidence that gingerbread is much more than the crispy little figures decorated on the holidays, this surely leaves no questions.

What becomes clear as I continually read Maida’s recipe headnotes is her mastery in recipe collecting as well as baking. Her method does not seem to be scavenging cookbooks, but instead gathering directly from the source. And the source could be anyone. This recipe gleaned by her mom from a postmaster in Moosehead Lake, Maine where they vacationed once now forever in print exemplifies her brilliance at knowing when something is classic.

I didn’t think I liked gingerbread before I baked this. Now, it’s an absolute addiction.