Easy Gingerbread Loaf
Perfectly spiced gingerbread loaf is full of classic holiday flavor! Made with ginger and molasses, it’s soft, moist and perfect for a festive breakfast treat, snack or dessert.
This spiced gingerbread loaf recipe is quick, easy and the best way to get you in the holiday spirit! Bake a loaf for yourself and then another to give to friends or family.
It’s perfect for pairing with your morning coffee or try adding a glaze and it’s transformed into dessert.
It’s like the Starbucks version but even better at home!
If you love gingerbread cookies, you are going to love this gingerbread bread! It will become a Christmas staple that you will bake all season long.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
From putting you in a festive mood all of December to enjoying a warm buttered slice on a cold winter morning, there are so many reasons you will love this gingerbread loaf!
- Moist and flavorful: Deeply spiced with molasses flavor and a light tender crumb.
- Easy to make: This spice filled loaf is simple to make from scratch, no stand mixer required!
- Any time of the day: Breakfast, snack or dessert, enjoy with a cup of coffee or scoop of ice cream!
- Adaptable: Make mini ginger cake loaves for gifting, or use the batter for muffins or cupcakes!
Ingredients Needed
Homemade gingerbread loaf cake is made with classic warming spices that will fill your home with the most delicious aroma! Here are the main ingredients you will need.
- Butter: Adds rich flavor, softness and moisture.
- Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar add sweetness, moisture and caramelization.
- Corn syrup: An important ingredient for a smooth texture.
- Molasses: A gingerbread essential! For this recipe you want an unsulphured molasses. It’s sticky and sweet and often found in the baking aisle.
- Milk: This will help thin the batter and produce a softer loaf with a fine crumb.
- All purpose flour: Measure using the spoon and level method for accuracy.
- Spices: Ginger and allspice give this bread so much warm taste! Salt gives it taste.
- Baking soda: Helps give this bread rise.
How to Make Gingerbread Loaf
This soft quick bread comes together easily in 20 minutes then the remainder is hands off oven time! Perfect for putting on a holiday movie and making some spiced cider while you wait.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F then grease and flour a 9 inch loaf pan.
- Heat wet ingredients: In a small or medium pot add the butter, sugars, syrup, molasses and milk, on medium heat bring to a boil, remove from heat, stir to combine then set aside.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ginger, allspice, baking soda and salt, add the hot mixture and stir just to combine (about 15-16 stirs).
- Bake and cool: Pour into your prepared baking pan. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan then move to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Properly measure flour: Too much flour and you risk your gingerbread bread being too crumbly. Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and then level with a knife for accurate results.
- Prevent dry bread: Every oven bakes a little bit differently. To prevent overbaking and dry bread, follow the baking temperatures as listed and start checking for doneness at 50 minutes. If a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, remove to cool.
- Don’t overmix your batter: Once you add your wet ingredients to your dry ones, gently stir only 15 to 16 times or until the flour has been incorporated.
- Give as a gift: Quick bread recipes are great for gifting! Wrap the freshly baked loaf of gingerbread in plastic wrap and add a bow or purchase some pretty pans.
- Add a glaze: Add a vanilla glaze or an orange glaze made simply with powdered sugar and orange juice, or for decadence cream cheese frosting would be delicious!
FAQs
Is gingerbread a bread?
Technically gingerbread can refer to a number of baked goods as they all share a few common ingredients like molasses and spices like allspice or cinnamon! It can be a soft gingerbread loaf (like this recipe), gingerbread cake or even the gingersnap cookie you might use for making gingerbread houses!
Can I add nuts or cranberries?
Chopped walnuts would be delicious stirred into the batter. Fresh cranberries would look so pretty adorned on top.
Should I line my loaf pan with parchment paper?
If you are worried that your gingerbread spiced bread will stick to the pan this is a great idea! Otherwise, just be sure to prep your pan with some grease than flour for easy removal. Purchase a baking spray that already has flour to save some time!
I can’t find molasses, what else can I use?
While molasses is best as it adds both flavor and color to the loaf, if you are having trouble finding it and are in a pinch, you could try pure maple syrup, but this has not been tested. If you are located internationally, treacle is very similar to molasses.
Can I make this quick bread loaf dairy free?
To make vegan gingerbread loaf just use a non dairy butter and non dairy milk from the carton. Taste may slightly change.
Storage Instructions
Store: When covered at room temperature gingerbread will stay fresh 4-5 days. To extend its life, you could wrap it tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil to prevent freezer burn and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
This Gingerbread loaf is perfect for the Holiday Season to enjoy with friends and family at every party!
More Quick Breads to Try
- Walnut cranberry bread
- Blueberry bread
- Cinnamon swirl quick bread
- Pumpkin bread
- Double chocolate banana bread
Easy Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar ( lightly packed)
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Grease and flour a 9 inch loaf pan.
- In a small/medium pot add the butter, sugars, syrup, molasses and milk, on medium heat bring to a boil, remove from heat, stir to combine then set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk the flour, ginger, allspice, baking soda and salt, add the hot mixture and stir just to combine (about 15-16 stirs).
- Pour into the prepared pan. Reduce heat to 325F (165C) and bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool 15-20 minutes in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!