Why You’ll Love This
This loaf needs nothing more than a nice, piping-hot cup of coffee to accompany it. That’s it, don’t bother with butter or overly sweet icing. A dusting of powdered sugar just for adornment. If you love spicy, full-flavored, soft, and moist gingerbread, you will love this gingerbread loaf recipe. Perfect gingerbread every time! This gingerbread is a great dessert during Christmas but can also be served for breakfast or a snack. This is not the Starbucks gingerbread loaf. It’s ten times better! It’s an easy gingerbread quick bread recipe to whip up. Are you looking for more holiday treats to bake this year? Try our chocolate covered pretzel rods, eggnog cookies, and copycat Walker’s shortbread recipe.
What is Gingerbread?
Gingerbread is a term for a wide range of baked goods that use molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. It can range from soft, cakey, crispy, and crunchy.
What is the difference between gingerbread and ginger cake?
Gingerbread can mean either cookies or cake. Ginger cake doesn’t normally use molasses. Its main spice is ground ginger.
Key Ingredients
Molasses – You need molasses for gingerbread, and we like to use robust, strong-flavored dark molasses. But you can use light and fancy molasses if desired.Spices – Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg make up the traditional gingerbread flavor.Buttermilk and Unsalted Butter – These two ingredients add moisture to the gingerbread loaf. The buttermilk also adds a slight tang that compliments the sweetness.
How to Make Spicy Gingerbread Loaf Recipe
No need for prep pics. This bread is easy to make. As long as your eggs, buttermilk, and butter are at room temperature, you shouldn’t have any problems. I speak from experience on this one. Preheat the oven to 350° degrees and arrange a rack in the middle. Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with butter, dust with flour, or use baking/cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk to aerate and combine; set aside. In a measuring cup, stir together buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined. Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and forms small peaks, about 5 minutes. Beat the molasses in until well combined, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl and paddle (the mixture will look a little curdled). Add one-third dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients beating on low speed just until flour is incorporated. Add half the buttermilk mixture until it’s smooth. Add another third of the flour mixture. Add remaining buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and hand stir the remaining flour mixture just until incorporated and smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake pulls away from the pan’s sides. Baking times can vary. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. The temps are finally cooling off here, and I’m ready for the holidays. Please don’t judge me! The deep, robust flavor of unsulphured blackstrap molasses is at its best in this loaf. I just might have eaten most of this spicy gingerbread loaf all by myself. So pour yourself (and a guest if you are so inclined to share) a cup of your favorite hot beverage and sit down to a slice of perfect sticky homemade gingerbread loaf HEAVEN!
Tips
Measure the flour correctly. Aerate, spoon, and swoop level.Be sure the eggs and dairy are at room temperature. The room-temperature ingredients combine easier and help this loaf recipe rise in the middle instead of sinking.DO NOT overmix. Know your oven! All ovens are not the same so start keeping an eye on the gingerbread loaf at about 30-35 minutes into the baking time.
Variations
You can use a cream cheese frosting if desired. Beat together 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar, and one teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Spread over the completely cooled gingerbread loaf.Try adding a little orange zest to the gingerbread.You can serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
