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★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Moist and Flavorful
This gingerbread loaf cake is super moist and flavorful thanks to a variety of spices, ginger paste, and molasses.
This is a dense, cake-like bread that is light and fluffy, perfectly sweetened, and flavored with molasses, brown sugar, and warm spices – all topped with a smooth vanilla bean glaze.
Gingerbread is a fun, traditional holiday treat that is just as yummy but much easier than rolling and cutting out gingerbread men!
Festive too!
Most often enjoyed during the holiday season around Christmas time into the new year, gingerbread is one of those special treats that helps get you into the holiday spirit!
Great for Gifting
This flavorful sweet bread has a signature aroma and flavor that will bring back memories, year after year. Why not make it a family tradition to bake a loaf? It's easy and yummy and great for sharing!
You can make this as a larger loaf or shorten the bake time for mini loaves to share with friends and family.
Breakfast, Dessert or Snack
This gingerbread loaf is the perfect versatile treat– enjoy it for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert!
Goes well with...
Pair this gingerbread cake with a Spinach and Feta Quiche-Souffle, Alfredo Sauce Vegetable Lasagna and a Santa Spritz Cocktail!
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
For the cake:
- Flour. All purpose flour gives the gingerbread loaf just the right amount of structure and softness. Make sure to measure using the spoon and level method as adding too much flour will result in a dry loaf.
- Spices. We need lots of warm spices to really get the “gingerbread” flavor into our loaf cake– in this case we’re using ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. You can use ginger powder or paste. Paste will add a little more moisture. So if you're looking for a super moist loaf, ginger paste is the best option.
- Baking soda and baking powder help the loaf cake rise so the crumb is light and tender.
- Butter adds richness and moisture to the loaf cake. Make sure it’s fully softened to room temperature so it incorporates smoothly with the brown sugar. You'll want to use unsalted butter since you'll be adding salt separately.
- Brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness to our loaf cake as well as a touch more molasses for a deep, rich flavor. You can use light or dark sugar.
- Eggs help bind the batter together and add richness and moisture.
- Vanilla extract. You can use vanilla bean paste here too if you prefer. Use ¼ teaspoon if so.
For the vanilla icing glaze:
- Milk. Whole milk adds moisture and helps bring the batter together. It’s also used to help create the glaze. You can substitute with a lower percentage or half and half if you're prefer.
- Powdered sugar. This is the base of the icing glaze–it adds sweetness and helps ensure the glaze is the right consistency.
- Vanilla bean paste. You can use extract or vanilla bean paste for a more powerful flavor. Vanilla simply enhances the sweetness and flavor of the molasses and spices in the gingerbread loaf.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
This bread recipe is remarkably easy, despite being made completely from scratch.
Here's an overview of the steps: (Full recipe further below)
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter with brown sugar. Add molasses and ginger. Add eggs and vanilla. Add milk then dry ingredients.
- Transfer batter to greased loaf pan. Bake. Let cool.
- Combine icing ingredients.
- Pour icing over loaf.
- Slice and serve.
Simple as that!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Molasses is what gives gingerbread its earthy, woodsy flavor. Make sure to use unsulphured molasses which is available in most grocery stores, in the baking aisle.
You do not want to use blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses can overpower and taste too bitter.
Yes. Using vanilla bean paste add a stronger vanilla flavor as well as little specs of vanilla beans to glaze. This enhances the flavor and adds an interesting visual touch but is not absolutely necessary. You can always swap the paste for vanilla seeds from a vanilla bean or use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract if you prefer or only have that on hand.
You can opt to bake these in smaller loaf pans if you want to give your gingerbread loaves away as a gift.
You can find some really cute reusable mini loaf pans or go with paper loaf pans. Perfect either way as a giveaway during the holidays season. And since baked gingerbread can be frozen, you can make a bunch and have an easy, homemade gift for friends and family who may pop by your house during the holidays.
To bake the mini loaves, you'll want to shorten the bake time. Cut bake time in half, then check every 2-3 minutes for the loaf to be done.
Since bake time varies depending on size, shape, and material of the baking pan, it's best to check for doneness and remove your loaves from the oven as soon as a toothpick, inserted into the center of the loaf, comes out clean.
Shop mini loaf pans on Amazon
Gingerbread has a rich history not surprisingly, due to its versatility. It's obviously a popular choice for making decorative holiday houses and gingerbread men, but even cakes have been featured in many cookbooks, carnivals and street-festivals, world-wide, year-round.
The combination of ginger and molasses gives it a distinct flavor and chewy yet firm texture that lends itself well to make uses.
Gingerbread houses were introduced with the book Hansel and Gretel written by Grimm brothers in 1812 but gingerbread men and women had been around for about 200 years prior to that.
You can learn more information about the history of gingerbread here.
Store gingerbread loaf in an airtight container. It lasts in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Bring the loaf to room temperature or microwave a slice for 10-15 seconds before enjoying.
Gingerbread can be also frozen for up 10 months! If you're preparing this ahead of time for holiday visitors, this is a great option for a quick snack for visiting house guests.
★ More Gingerbread Recipes ★
Want more holiday baking ideas?
Browse all my holiday recipes including cookies, cakes, and more!
Iced Gingerbread Loaf Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Gingerbread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste (or ¼ teaspoon ginger powder)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste*
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray. - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add molasses and ginger; mix to combine. Scrape down sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Next add eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, add milk then dry ingredients.Mix just until dry ingredients are combined – don’t overmix or bread will become chewy and stiff!
- Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow gingerbread loaf to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove it and move to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the glaze.
Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla bean paste.
- Pour glaze over cooled loaf and spread it to the edges so it just barely drips down the sides. Allow glaze to set for 15 minutes before slicing.
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