Today’s wonderfully spiced gingerbread loaf is breakfast, snack, and dessert all rolled into one. Orange icing and all. You can make the loaf as muffins (see my notes!) or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Have a slice with coffee in the afternoon or top with homemade whipped cream and fresh cranberries. The possibilities are endless and if you have a few minutes to spare, you can whip up this gingerbread batter. Let’s do this!
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Loaf
One of the many things I love about this recipe is the smell as it bakes—your home will smell completely divine as guests come and go, not to mention put you in a completely festive holiday state of mind. If you need even more convincing to give gingerbread loaf a try… it’s:
Deeply spiced and moist Has rich, dark molasses flavor Not overly sweet Easy to make Perfect any time of day Adaptable into muffins or cupcakes (or try my gingerbread muffins) Delicious with or without the icing Always impressive!
Ingredients in Spiced Gingerbread Loaf
We use pretty standard ingredients to make gingerbread loaf. They’re all pantry basics that you likely already have on hand.
Flour: This is a dense, moist cake so we need sturdy all-purpose flour as the base. Baking Soda: Baking soda helps it rise. Salt & Spices: This loaf is a deeply spiced gingerbread. There’s plenty of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The three spices I use the most this time of year! Also: I add black pepper. I love it so much in my pumpkin pie, I figured why not in gingerbread too. There’s not much—only 1/8 teaspoon—but just enough to make this a super spiced gingerbread, unlike any others I’ve ever tried. Molasses: A gingerbread essential. There are varying intensities of molasses on store shelves from lighter molasses to blackstrap molasses. Just like in my gingerbread oatmeal cookies, you want a dark molasses, also sold as “robust” molasses. A few brands I favor: Grandma’s Robust Molasses, Grandma’s Unsulphured Molasses, or Wholesome!’s Organic Molasses (this stuff is potent and delicious—it’s what I used in the pictured loaf and why the loaf looks so dark.) I do not recommend using blackstrap molasses. Water: We use hot water to thin out the molasses and provide some liquid for the gingerbread batter. Butter: Adds flavor and moisture. Make sure it’s properly softened to room temperature before beginning. Brown Sugar: We use brown sugar (light or dark) for extra molasses flavor and moisture. Egg: One egg binds everything together. Vanilla Extract: A must! Vanilla pairs wonderfully with all of the spices and flavors we have going on. Try using homemade vanilla extract.
Son of a nutcracker! This gingerbread is dark!
How to Make Gingerbread Loaf
Orange Icing
I made a simple and quick orange icing for drizzling on top of the soft and spicy gingerbread. You can certainly use vanilla icing instead, but I highly suggest the citrus! It’s a light and fragrant contrast to the richer, more intense flavors in the gingerbread. It’s just 2 ingredients: orange juice and confectioners’ sugar. You’ve got both on hand, so why not pour on top? You won’t regret this. Top with cranberries for color. You can even use sugared cranberries like I did in my pumpkin pie recipe!
More Gingerbread Recipes
Gingerbread Muffins Gingerbread Cake Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake Gingerbread Cookies Homemade Gingerbread House Gingerbread Cupcakes Gingerbread Waffles
