Gingerbread With Caramelized Apples And Lemon Sauce

-LEMON SAUCE-
3/4 c Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c Water
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 Lemon; Zest of
1 ds Pure vanilla extract
1 tb Cornstarch
3 tb Water
1 tb Unsalted butter
1 c Heavy whipping cream

To make the gingerbread, put the sugar and water in a large saute pan and
cook over high heat until the sugar turns golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not
stir until the sugar starts to brown. Add the apples and cook until they
are tender and the caramel is soft, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, combine the butter, brown
sugar, cream, and molasses and mix well on high speed. Add the eggs one at
a time, fully incorporating each one before adding the next. Add the cooked
apples, mix well, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set
aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon,
nutmeg, candied ginger, and baking soda. Add half of the flour mixture to
the egg mixture. Add half of the sour cream and mix well. Add the remaining
flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the remaining sour cream and then add
the pecans and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the oven
until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 55
minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Put the lemon juice, water, sugar, zest and
vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Put the cornstarch in a
bowl and add the water to soften. Whisk the cornstarch into the boiling
sugar mixture and then whisk in the butter. Keep the sauce warm until ready
to use.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whip
the cream to soft peaks. Slice the cake and place the slices on individual
plates. Drizzle some of the sauce over each slice, top with a dollop of
whipped cream, and serve.