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.

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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

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, ...

Why did 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 do you store ginger cake? ›

This cake doesn't need to be stored in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight tin or lidded polythene box. Or you can freeze it (or some of it) if you want to store it for longer.

Did Starbucks discontinue Gingerbread Loaf? ›

Starbucks' 2023 Holiday Food Menu

Obviously, no holiday menu is complete without some treats. This year, the coffee chain is bringing back a few favorites, including the Sugar Plum Cheese Danish, Snowman Cookie, Cranberry Bliss Bar, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop, and Gingerbread Loaf.

What Starbucks drink tastes like gingerbread? ›

“The gingerbread flavor amplifies the spice of the chai.” The beverage is made with a blend of oatmilk and black tea infused with cinnamon and warming spices and topped with a sprinkle of spice topping.

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.

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.

Should gingerbread dough be dry? ›

Add molasses and vanilla and beat until completely incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Dough should be soft (not dry or crumbly) but not sticky.

Why is my gingerbread dense? ›

Under-baking can cause a sunken cake and over-baking can cause a dry one, so making sure your gingerbread is properly baked is critical! Gingerbread is inherently slightly dense and heavy in texture, but each bite is perfectly flavored and moist and just melts in your mouth.

Why are my gingerbread cookies puffy? ›

Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.

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.

Can I freeze homemade gingerbread? ›

Yes, you can freeze gingerbread. Wrap the cooled cake in storage wrap, then wrap it again in a layer of foil. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Can you reheat gingerbread? ›

You may also freshen or warm Grasmere Gingerbread® by placing it on a baking sheet in a conventional oven, moderate heat for a few minutes. It can be frozen on the day of purchase/receipt; defrost as you would with slices of bread - just take out the number of slices you intend to eat on the day.

Why is my ginger cake crumbly? ›

If you use a cup rather than a scale there's a good chance you're using too much flour: up to 20% too much, if you use the measuring cup as a scoop then tamp the flour down. Any baked good — especially cake —with too much flour will be dry, hard, crumbly …

Is the Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf dairy free? ›

The legendary Starbucks gingerbread loaf is a classic holiday treat but, unfortunately, is not vegan. That's okay, because this homemade vegan Gingerbread Loaf is even better! Warmly spiced, moist, and decorated with vegan cream cheese icing, it's an easy festive cake you'll absolutely adore.

Is Starbucks gingerbread vegan? ›

Opting for nondairy milk and no whipped cream will make Starbucks' gingerbread latte—a favorite of many—vegan. The nutmeg, gingerbread, and warm spices make for a delicious way to get in the holiday mood.

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 is gingerbread cake made of? ›

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter until smooth and light. Add the egg and molasses then mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir to combine.

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