Setting the Table and Gingerbread Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream
Light a fire, and have some friends over to enjoy a harvest-themed, special holiday dinner party with Gingerbread Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream for dessert!
Setting the table is something I love to do around the holidays. There are so many delicious colors, and I just love thinking about my guests who are coming to my house to spend hours with our family.
Recently we’ve been blessed with beautiful weather and fairy warm days. Taking advantage of those days I set the table outside. It actually feels good to pull up the heaters, wrap a blanket around our legs or put on a jacket—as long as we’re all together.
I love the smell of Fall, so eating outside as long as we can is essential.
Set the table.
I gathered small mum plants (that I was going to use for this “Falling in Love” bridal shower).
Turned a table runner over to see what was on the other side and loved the gold color!
Love my new little blue Dollar Store water glasses. Aren’t they pretty? I say little, because their a very nice size (some water glasses are too big, in my opinion).
Mikasa’s chalkboard wine glasses.
I added in my wedding soup bowls – Mikasa {French Countryside} – from 23 years ago, folks! I still love my wedding dishes!
And Mikasa’s new beautiful Regent Bead flatware.
Black cloth napkins, MacKenzie-Childs chargers, Dollar Store black plates.
It was such an easy table to put together, with 2 accent water bottles (from TJ Maxx).
Regent Bead Flatware.
Last week I cleaned out one of my silverware drawers and set the contents up in the attic, and replaced it with 2 beautiful sets of Regent Bead flatware. This drawer is going to be for entertaining only. I told my family – NO TOUCHING. HA! I love having a space where it’s ready to go with last-minute entertaining items.
Etiquette with Peggy.
Since the holidays are here, and many of us pull out our “good” dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I think it’s a good thing to be reminded exactly “how to set the table.” Although I believe there is really no wrong or right, I love this guide by Peggy Post, a visual for all of us.
Don’t get uptight about the table.
I really like to remind friends when they get all uptight about setting the table, that no one is going to remember how it’s set, or the details. They will remember the people gathered, the conversation, maybe the food, probably the laughter and the hugs!
Remember, it’s not all about the table, but the bodies in the chairs!
Gingerbread Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream.
After the meal, we enjoyed a yummy Gingerbread Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream on top! I have a similar Gingerbread Cake with Chocolate Frosting recipe on RE (made with applesauce), and my friend, Aggie, has a recipe for Gingerbread Spiced Nuts, which would be fabulous on top!
Perfect dessert for end-of-seaon events, and I’ll also be making this into the Christmas holidays as well.
Enjoy!
Do you stress about setting the table, and all the tiny details?
Get the Recipe:
Gingerbread Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, 1 stick
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, egg, and molasses for 1 minute. Add the boiling water, whole wheat and almond flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well for about 4 more minutes.
- Butter a 9×9 inch baking dish and pour the batter into the dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
- In the meantime, whip the cream until barely thick; add the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat for another 30 seconds-1 minute. Cut the cake into squares and serve with a dollop of cream on top.
This post is sponsored by Mikasa who provided me with their flatware; but as always, all opinions are my own.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I love the balance of dark and light colors you have in your tablescape. Isn’t it fun when you find a new way to look at something, like your table runner? We had a rug upside down in my house for a long time because the underside was also so pretty.
if I do not have almond flour, what can I substitute that for? would unbleached all pupose work? love this!!!
Love those mums and those wine glasses! So fun! What a gorgeous table Sandy. You really do inspire me to make things look nicer on the table…I’m going to experiment for thanksgiving this year – I never have anything but food on the table!
Those nuts really would make a perfect topping, the cake sounds so delicious. Thanks friend!
That table setting is gorgeous! I need to take more time trying out new table settings and being creative with it! Is that your backyard, because it’s absolutely beautiful :)
GORGEOUS!!!
Looks yummy!!! I am not one to fret over the table…though I appreciate and love a pretty table, I just never take the time.