When I was pastry chef at Rialto restaurant, I was ecstatic when I was asked to make gingerbread. I enjoyed creating elegant desserts for our seasonal menu, but I missed making homey cakes. It was my first Christmas season at the restaurant and Christopher, one of the owners (and now my husband), wanted to give away little gingerbread cakes to our regular customers as holiday gifts. This gave me an excuse to develop my ideal recipe: soft, tender cake with lusty, bold flavor