Gingerbread Loaf Cake Recipe - moist and perfectly spiced Christmas cake for gingerbread lovers. This coffee shop style cake is absolutely delicious!
Bring the coffee shop style loaf cake into your kitchen with this easy recipe for Gingerbread Loaf made from scratch. Perfect to enjoy on a snowy day alongside a big mug of coffee or tea or gift-wrap and give to friends and family this holiday season.
I am obsessed with all the ginger molasses baked treats right now! I made my Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies twice already and have a batch in the freezer for Christmas. Now this loaf! It's so good with a cup of latte in the afternoon! Every Gingerbread Cake has to have these two main ingredients: ginger and molasses.
HOW TO MAKE GINGERBREAD LOAF CAKE?
- Start by preheating the oven. Grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients: flour, soda, salt and spices.
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In another mixing bowl, combine butter, molasses and water. Whisk until butter is melted. Cool until not hot to the touch. Add egg and whisk until well combined.
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Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.
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Pour into prepared pan and bake until the toothpick inserted in few places in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and slice.
HOW TO CHECK IF THE CAKE IS DONE?
Once the baking time is up, check the cake with a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. No toothpick on hand? Use my trick and grab a dry spaghetti noodle. Works like a charm!
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GINGERBREAD CAKE VARIATIONS:
- topping: You can frost the cake with a cream cheese frosting ( get my favorite recipe for it, here ) or dust it with powdered sugar.
- shape: This recipe is very easy to make and can be baked in a loaf pan, muffin pan or a 9" square or round pan. I like the loaf shape and that's what I use.
- add-ons: add chocolate chips, dried cranberries or even nuts to dry ingredients before mixing with wet ingredients.
Scroll below for the printable recipe.
MORE GINGER MOLASSES RECIPES:
Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
GINGERBREAD LOAF CAKE RECIPE:
Gingerbread Loaf Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup molasses ( I used Grandma's molasses )
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 1 large egg
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients: flour, soda, salt and spices.
- In another mixing bowl, combine butter, molasses and water. Whisk until butter is melted. Cool until not hot to the touch. Add egg and whisk until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes OR until the toothpick inserted in few places in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar and slice.
Notes
Nutrition
Sara says
I would like to make this for Christmas for friends. Can you use the disposable aluminum pans? Thanks
Laura says
My recipe is very similar but I use half the ground ginger and add 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger root; also use 2 eggs. Have made in 8” square baking pan and as mini muffins, but my favorite is a 4x4x9 Pullman loaf pan—beautiful proportions.
Lynn Tremblay says
Hi, Is there no sugar at all in this recipe or was it a forgotten ingredient? Thank you.
Laurette S Raby says
Can this recipe be used for muffins?
Thank you in advance.
Lynn Tremblay says
Did you add any sugar to the recipe, I do not see any in the list of ingredients.
Sheri White says
I made this and didn't even think about the sugar. It's pretty good without it; you can really taste the spices. It's easy to make. I used oil instead of butter because butter doesn't usually make a cake very moist in my experience.
However, I did think I'd add maybe 1/4 cup sugar next time, just to have a little sweetness. Dusting each piece with powdered sugar helps. I don't dust the whole cake at once because the powdered sugar can melt into the cake and get gross.
mindy says
amazing, its a keeper!
Anna says
Thank you, Mindy!
Taleesha says
I'm obviously missing something in this recipe. The recipe states, "In another mixing bowl, combine butter, molasses and water. Whisk until butter is melted. Cool until not hot to the touch." Where does it say to heat up this mixture? Double boiler? Saucepan? Please help.
Anna says
Hi Taleesha! The water is supposed to be boiling (see ingredients list) so yes, the mixture will be hot. Hope this helps!
Rachael Yerkes says
This gingerbread loaf cake is dreamy! Seriously, the ultimate Christmas recipe right here!
Aimee Shugarman says
So much easier than cookies!
Alli says
This is one of our favorite gingerbread recipes to make! So so good.
Lori says
Delicious! And it's perfect for holiday gifting too!
Charity says
I'm really excited to make this! Gingerbread puts me in the Christmas spirit!
Sues says
I can tell how flavorful and delicious this is by the color of it! Sounds like it would go great with my morning coffee 🙂