Homemade Gingerbread Loaf Recipe (2024)

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posted by Amy Johnsonon December 14, 2020 90 comments »

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The spicy homemade Gingerbread Loaf made with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and molasses is such a lovely treat to enjoy with coffee or tea. If you wish, drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze for a festive treat that tastes just like the holidays.

Each year when the holidays roll around I can’t seem to satisfy my gingerbread cravings. And each year when the holidays roll around and I can’t seem to satisfy my gingerbread cravings, I wonder why gingerbread is only enjoyed during the holiday season? Why not all year long? Who makes these rules anyway? I’m all about breaking the rules and chains that hold us back soI vote for gingerbread all throughout the year! Who is with me?!?

Regardless of when you choose to enjoy gingerbread, do try this Gingerbread Loaf recipe soon. The aromas this warm spicy treat fills your home with is enough reason to bake a loaf or two. Make one for your home and another to share.

This spice-filled loaf is simple to prepare. The batter comes together quite easily.Begin by whisking all of the dry ingredients together. Separately, beat together melted butter, molasses, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful to not over mix batter. Pour batter into prepared a 9×5 inch loaf pan and bake until done. It takes about 50 minutes or so to bake. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling before serving (if you can wait that long!).

The Vanilla Glaze Drizzle is optional. Honestly, I really prefer this gingerbread loaf without the glaze. Gingerbread is so flavorful and sweet enough all by itself. The glaze does add a pretty touch for holiday celebrations and is super quick to make and drizzle over the loaf once it has cooled.

Homemade Gingerbread Loaf Recipe (3)

I think you’ll really enjoy this Gingerbread Loaf. My recommendation? Cozy up with a slice of this gingerbread and a warm cup of tea while watching your favorite Hallmark movie for the perfect holiday break. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Check out these other holiday treats:

  • Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe
  • Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars Recipe
  • Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe

Homemade Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

Homemade Gingerbread Loaf Recipe (5)

Homemade Gingerbread Loaf

The spicy homemade Gingerbread Loaf made with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and molasses is such a lovely treat to enjoy with coffee or tea. Drizzle with asimple vanilla glaze for a festive treat that tastes just like the holidays.

Ingredients

For gingerbread loaf:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For vanilla glaze drizzle:*

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk (more, as needed)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For gingerbread loaf:

  1. Adjust rack to middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and ground cloves.
  3. In a separate medium mixing bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter and molasses until incorporated. Beat in eggs until combined, then buttermilk and vanilla extract. Beat until thoroughly combined. (Mixture may look curdled.)
  4. Stir wet mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Do not over mix.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into center of the cake comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. The cake will just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack to finish cooling.

For vanilla glaze drizzle:

  1. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Add more milk or confectioners' sugar as needed for desired consistency. Drizzle cooled cake with glaze.

Notes

*Vanilla glaze is optional.

Did you make this recipe?

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Desserts

published on December 14, 2020

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90 comments on “Homemade Gingerbread Loaf Recipe”

  1. ChristieReply

    Just baked this today (3 mini loaves), and took a loaf to two of my sisters. Before I even made it back home, I was getting text messages saying how good it was. My nephew also said it was so good. I made it with the icing, and shortened the cooking time by 25% to 38 – 41 minutes. I took mine out of the oven after 39 minutes and they were perfect.

    • Gina

      Thank you for the helpful timing suggestion. I plan to double the recipe as others have suggested and do several batches in mini loaf pans with homemade lemon curd for Christmas gifts. Wonderful recipe and Amy is SO right! We need to enjoy gingerbread ALL YEAR LONG!

  2. DonnaReply

    I want to make this ahead. What is the best way to store it and how long will it stay fresh?

    Thanks

    • Amy Johnson

      I would wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and store on counter for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

  3. KirbiReply

    If I wanted to make mini loaves using your recipe, how many loaves do you think I could make? I’m going to give this to neighbors as a Christmas gift. 🙂 Thank you in advance!

    • Amy Johnson

      I have not made mini loaves with this recipe, but I would guess about 3, depending on the size? That’s just a guess. Let me know how they turn out!

    • Kirbi Tharp

      I doubled the recipe and made 6 perfect mini loaves! They’re so adorable and delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  4. ClaraReply

    Just an awesome loaf. Very tasty and moist. Comes together easily and now have found the best gingerbread recipe. Taste just like a gingerbread cookie and not a super strong taste. All balance very good.

  5. SherReply

    How do you think this would do as mini-loaves to gift?

    • Amy Johnson

      I think they would be great as mini loaves! I do not know what the bake time should be though, so be sure to check for doneness at intervals.

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Homemade Gingerbread Loaf Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my gingerbread loaf sink in the middle? ›

Most likely too much bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) was added. Bicarbonate of soda is an extremely active raising agent and if you add too much then the gingerbread will rise up a lot during baking, then sink back fairly dramatically.

How long does ginger bread stay fresh for? ›

How long does gingerbread last? Baked gingerbread will keep for 5 days in an airtight container. If it's humid or moisture is present, the gingerbread will soften. You can freeze gingerbread either raw or cooked.

Did Starbucks discontinue gingerbread loaf? ›

A few years ago, the classic loaf was discontinued, but they did bring it back and now offer it seasonally.

How ginger bread is made? ›

Make the Gingerbread: Mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add chunks of butter and incorporate them with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the molasses and milk until combined.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

How do I stop my gingerbread from sinking? ›

To keep our gingerbread recipe from sinking in the middle, we incorporated the baking soda with the wet ingredients and roughed up some of the batter to strengthen the flour, giving our gingerbread a more sturdy texture while maintaining its moistness.

Why is my gingerbread cake too dry? ›

Here are five tips for how to moisten a dry cake once it's already been baked.
  1. Brush with simple syrup glaze. Velez recommends adding a simple syrup glaze to your cake layers if they end up coming out too dry. ...
  2. Soak your cake in milk. ...
  3. Fill the cake with mousse or jam. ...
  4. Frost the cake. ...
  5. Stick it in the fridge.
Apr 27, 2021

How do you keep gingerbread from falling down? ›

Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat. You want to allow it to turn brown, but make sure not to burn it (otherwise it won't taste so great). Then take your gingerbread house pieces, dip the edges in melted sugar and hold them together for a few seconds. That's it!

Do gingerbread houses attract bugs? ›

GingerBread House

The sweet smell of gingerbread and the warm shelter it provides can attract insects such as ants and co*ckroaches. Being careful where you store the gingerbread house can help prevent an infestation. Additionally, properly disposing of any leftovers by wrapping them in plastic wrap.

Can gingerbread go bad? ›

The general rule of thumb is a couple of weeks. It depends how its prepared and if you used a lot of icing. Also, gingerbread like any other bread turns stale quite fast. Eating it after 1–2 week with tea shouldn't be a problem.

What do you do with a gingerbread house after you make it? ›

You can place it on a table, sideboard, or mantel to add a touch of holiday cheer to your home [2]. Enjoy it as a treat: While gingerbread houses are primarily made for decoration, they are still edible. If you'd like to enjoy your creation, you can break off pieces and eat them.

What are the ingredients in Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf? ›

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], APPLE SAUCE [APPLES, WATER, ASCORBIC ACID ADDED FOR COLOR RETENTION], SUGAR, EGGS, BROWN SUGAR, BUTTER [CREAM, NATURAL FLAVOR], ICING SUGAR [SUGAR, CORNSTARCH], WATER, BUTTERMILK [NONFAT MILK, DRY BUTTERMILK, ...

What Starbucks drink tastes like gingerbread? ›

Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte

“The combination of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso with the steamed oatmilk infused with olive oil is nice and balanced with the gingerbread syrup uplifting all those spice notes. It's cozy and warming with an enjoyable dash of holiday flavors.”

Why did Starbucks get rid of mango? ›

Why did Starbucks discontinue mango and peach syrups? - Quora. They were discontinued mostly because of the introduction of the natural fruit infusion flavors. Citrus Peach, Strawberry, and Pineapple. They are basically fruit tea that can be mixed with your tea instead of the sugared syrups.

What is gingerbread dough made of? ›

For making the gingerbread house dough, you will need the following ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, molasses, an egg and vanilla extract.

What are the ingredients in Starbucks gingerbread loaf? ›

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], APPLE SAUCE [APPLES, WATER, ASCORBIC ACID ADDED FOR COLOR RETENTION], SUGAR, EGGS, BROWN SUGAR, BUTTER [CREAM, NATURAL FLAVOR], ICING SUGAR [SUGAR, CORNSTARCH], WATER, BUTTERMILK [NONFAT MILK, DRY BUTTERMILK, ...

What makes gingerbread taste like gingerbread? ›

Spice Combinations

Some other common spices used in gingerbread recipes are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and allspice. Cinnamon is available in ground form and in a stick. For baking, you should use ground cinnamon. Nutmeg adds a nutty, sweet spiciness to gingerbread.

What makes gingerbread hard or soft? ›

Some gingerbread recipes require some time to soften after baking because they are initially firm. Gingerbread is made harder by molasses and honey, but it becomes softer when water is absorbed by the sugar.

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