Spicy Gingerbread Loaf

Spicy gingerbread loaf is moist, slightly sticky, sweet, and loaded with spicy goodness. Perfectly spiced gingerbread!

Spicy Gingerbread Loaf on a white plate with a couple of slices laying over.

Why You’ll Love This

This loaf needs nothing more than a nice, piping-hot cup of coffee to accompany it.

That’s it, don’t bother with butter or overly sweet icing. A dusting of powdered sugar just for adornment.

If you love spicy, full-flavored, soft, and moist gingerbread, you will love this gingerbread loaf recipe. Perfect gingerbread every time!

This gingerbread is a great dessert during Christmas but can also be served for breakfast or a snack.

This is not the Starbucks gingerbread loaf. It’s ten times better!

It’s an easy gingerbread quick bread recipe to whip up.

Are you looking for more holiday treats to bake this year? Try our chocolate covered pretzel rods, eggnog cookies, and copycat Walker’s shortbread recipe.

Spicy Gingerbread Loaf on a white platter garnished with powdered sugar.

What is Gingerbread?

Gingerbread is a term for a wide range of baked goods that use molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. It can range from soft, cakey, crispy, and crunchy.

What is the difference between gingerbread and ginger cake?

Gingerbread can mean either cookies or cake. Ginger cake doesn’t normally use molasses. Its main spice is ground ginger.

Key Ingredients

  • Molasses – You need molasses for gingerbread, and we like to use robust, strong-flavored dark molasses. But you can use light and fancy molasses if desired.
  • Spices – Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg make up the traditional gingerbread flavor.
  • Buttermilk and Unsalted Butter – These two ingredients add moisture to the gingerbread loaf. The buttermilk also adds a slight tang that compliments the sweetness.

How to Make Spicy Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

No need for prep pics. This bread is easy to make. As long as your eggs, buttermilk, and butter are at room temperature, you shouldn’t have any problems.

I speak from experience on this one.

Preheat the oven to 350° degrees and arrange a rack in the middle.

Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with butter, dust with flour, or use baking/cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk to aerate and combine; set aside. In a measuring cup, stir together buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined.

Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and forms small peaks, about 5 minutes.

Sliced loaf on a white platter garnished with powdered sugar.

Beat the molasses in until well combined, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated.

Scrape the bowl and paddle (the mixture will look a little curdled). Add one-third dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients beating on low speed just until flour is incorporated.

Add half the buttermilk mixture until it’s smooth. Add another third of the flour mixture. Add remaining buttermilk and mix until incorporated.

Turn off the mixer and hand stir the remaining flour mixture just until incorporated and smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake pulls away from the pan’s sides. Baking times can vary.

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Spicy Gingerbread Loaf on a white platter garnished with powdered sugar.

The temps are finally cooling off here, and I’m ready for the holidays. Please don’t judge me!

The deep, robust flavor of unsulphured blackstrap molasses is at its best in this loaf. I just might have eaten most of this spicy gingerbread loaf all by myself.

So pour yourself (and a guest if you are so inclined to share) a cup of your favorite hot beverage and sit down to a slice of perfect sticky homemade gingerbread loaf HEAVEN!

Tips

  • Measure the flour correctly. Aerate, spoon, and swoop level.
  • Be sure the eggs and dairy are at room temperature. The room-temperature ingredients combine easier and help this loaf recipe rise in the middle instead of sinking.
  • DO NOT overmix.
  • Know your oven! All ovens are not the same so start keeping an eye on the gingerbread loaf at about 30-35 minutes into the baking time.

Variations

  • You can use a cream cheese frosting if desired. Beat together 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar, and one teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Spread over the completely cooled gingerbread loaf.
  • Try adding a little orange zest to the gingerbread.
  • You can serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

FAQs

What can I substitute for molasses?

You can substitute treacle (black treacle). Do note that it will not be as strong in flavor. Treacle has a softer, less robust flavor.

Why is my gingerbread loaf cake dry?

Make sure you measure the flour correctly. Too much flour will make baked goods dry.

Storing

Store the cooled gingerbread loaf in an air-tight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for about five days.

Freezing

Wrap the gingerbread cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, place it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months for the best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

More Gingerbread Recipes

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Spicy Gingerbread Loaf on a white plate with a couple of slices laying over.

Spicy Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

It's not just for the holidays. Moist, slightly sticky, sweet, and loaded with spicy goodness. This gingerbread loaf needs nothing more than a nice, piping hot cup of coffee to accompany it.
4.24 from 25 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bread, cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American, English
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 9
Calories: 317kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses, robust
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in middle. Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with butter, dust with flour or use baking spray.
  • Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk to aerate and combine; set aside. In a measuring cup, stir together buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy and forms small peaks, about 5 minutes.
    1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • Beat in molasses until well combined then add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated.
    1/2 cup blackstrap molasses, robust, 2 large eggs
  • Scrape bowl and paddle (mixture will look a little curdled). Add one third flour mixture beating on low speed just until flour is incorporated. Add half buttermilk mixture until it’s smooth. Add another third of the flour mixture. Add remaining buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and hand stir the remaining flour mixture just until incorporated and smooth. DO NOT OVER MIX.
  • Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is pulling away from sides of the pan.
  • Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Notes

Be sure the eggs, buttermilk, and butter are room temperature.
You can substitute treacle (black treacle) for the molasses. Do note that it will not be as strong in flavor. Treacle has a softer less robust flavor.
Storing – Store the cooled gingerbread loaf in an air-tight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for about 5 days.
Freezing – Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, place in a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2.3mg

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6 Comments

  1. Hi… I followed all the instructions, but after 45 minutes in the oven, I tested it with a toothpick and it was done. Left it in the pan for 10minutes and when I came back to transfer it into a plate, the ginger bread was deflated.. Can you tell me what didI do wrong? The taste is incredible but in the middle is deflated…

    1. Hi, Carolina. This was an issue when I was testing this recipe. Be sure the eggs and dairy are at room temperature. The room-temperature ingredients combine easier and help this loaf recipe rise in the middle instead of sinking. And turn off the mixer and hand stir the remaining flour mixture just until incorporated and smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX. I hope this helps.

  2. How spicy is this recipe? I loooove spicy gingerbread and this recipe looks great and easy to make. What is the spice I can add to make it spicier?

    Thanks!5 stars

    1. Hi, Elise! I too love SPICY strong-flavored gingerbread. I highly recommend trying the recipe as is to see if it meets your requirements before adding additional spices.

  3. Just popped this loaf in the oven. I tasted the batter and omgosh! Only thing I added was 1/8 t white pepper. I can’t wait to taste!5 stars

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