Soft Gingerbread recipe

I was typing out this recipe for my son (who asked for it!) away at college and thought maybe I would post it here. It's from an old church cookbook on the centennial year of the Knox United Church in Manitowaning, Ontario,in 1962. Manitowaning is on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron - the largest freshwater island in the world! The recipes are handwritten and then mimeographed. Several recipes in the book are from my grandmother and great aunts. This recipe isn't one of them but it's a really good gingerbread. Serve with whipped cream or lemon sauce. Mmm... makes me hungry thinking about it.

Soft Gingerbread Recipe

1/2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. molasses
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 t. each of ginger, cinnamon and cloves
2 t. of soda dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water
2 1/2 c. flour
Mix together the sugar, molasses and butter. Add the spices to the flour; add to the mix with the water. Add two beaten eggs; mix in well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (check after 25 min - there's no time indicated on the recipe so I'm guessing a little. It will likely be 30-35 min but it depends somewhat on your oven too. Put a knife in and if it comes out clean and the cake springs back when you touch it, it is done.)

There were actually no instructions given other than to add the eggs at the end and no pan size. The detailed instructions are for my son so he'll know when it's done. I have made this in a 9x9 pan but it took a long time and was very high so now I make it in a 9x13 pan.