Chocolate Gingerbread

I love gingerbread but I only seem to make it in fall. My original recipe is moist and delicious with a good balance of spice. But add chocolate and gingerbread goes to a whole new level. It reminds me of Mexican Hot Chocolate. The spice accentuates the chocolate. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream. I doubled my recipe to make this. If you would like a smaller cake or want to make 1 loaf, cut the amounts in half.

12 servings

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick- 1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup molasses
4 tablespoons crystalized ginger, minced
1 pgk dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a baking pan.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger. Set aside.
Cream the butter & brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Mix the buttermilk, molasses together, and add all at once to the butter mixture. Don't worry if it looks a bit curdy. Add the flour mixture and mix just until you get a smooth batter. Fold in the crystalized ginger and chocolate chips being careful not to overmix. Bake until a cake tester comes clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool before serving.