This wonderful old-fashioned gingerbread loaf smells and tastes like the season! This loaf is full of flavour from molasses, honey and lots of warm spices. The aroma of the baking loaf will fill your house, and the loaf can be available for days to enjoy throughout the season.
I’m not sure there is any holiday bake that tastes like the season more than gingerbread loaf. This old-fashioned gingerbread loaf is full of the flavours of molasses, honey and warm spices. The texture is wonderfully moist, but sturdy and it will keep for days on the counter!
Ingredients and substitions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Molasses – For best results, use “Fancy” molasses, such as Crosby or Grandma brands. Molasses labelled as “Cooking” molasses will have a harsher flavour. Please don’t use Blackstrap molasses, as the flavour will be too strong and bitter.
Honey – Use a neutral-flavoured runny honey here, to avoid introducing extra flavours to the loaf.
How to make gingerbread loaf
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
- Start by adding the cold, cubed butter to the milk in a measuring cup. Add the molasses and honey and microwave the mixture to warm.
- Remove from the microwave and stir. Allow the mixture to stand to cool and continue melting the butter.
- Meanwhile, add the dry ingredients to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together.
- Return to the molasses mixture and stir. The butter should be fully melted by now. Add the white sugar to the molasses mixture.
- Add the egg to the molasses mixture and stir in well.
- Add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl or mixer.
- Mix the matter together well until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake about 1 hour.
Recipe tips!
- As noted, this old-fashioned gingerbread loaf is molasses-forward in flavour. If you find it too much so, you can tweak the ratio of honey to molasses, adding more honey and less molasses, to taste. I also find that adding a smear of butter to the slice tempers the molasses flavour nicely.
- Watch the loaf closely as it bakes, baking just until done. Over-baking can result in a drier loaf.
How to enjoy this gingerbread loaf
- Slice and enjoy as is.
- Slice and butter.
- Slice, plate and warm for a lovely, seasonal dessert with a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream and/or a drizzle of toffee sauce.
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Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk, or water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) Fancy molasses, *see Note 1 below
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) runny honey, neutral-flavoured
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, cold and cut into about 8 cubes
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, stirred, spooned and levelled
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, increase to 3/4 tsp if using unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons ground ginger
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
Equipment
- 9×5-inch loaf pan preferably metal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). NOTE! Reduce the oven temperature to 325F if using a glass loaf pan. Prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan by spraying it with cooking spray and then lining the bottom and long sides with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to extend at least 1 inch over the sides of the pan to use as handles to lift the loaf out later. Set aside.
- Add the milk (or water) to a glass measuring cup or small microwave-safe bowl. Add the molasses and honey. Drop the cubes of butter into the measuring cup or bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for 15 seconds more. Remove from the microwave and allow to stand to cool, and continue melting the butter.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda and spices to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir together to combine.
- Tip! Make sure the moasses mixture has cooled sufficiently before adding the egg or the egg will cook! Let it stand a little longer, if needed.
- Return to the molasses mixture and stir it together well. The butter cubes should have completely melted at this point. Add the white sugar and the egg to the molasses mixture and stir until smooth.
- Pour the molasses mixture into the flour mixture and mix together until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake the loaf for about 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the loaf. NOTE! Check the loaf after 40-45 minutes. If the top is starting to brown a bit in spots, loosely lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the loaf for the last part of baking.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife along the short ends, then lift the loaf from the pan with the parchment "handles". Place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Dust the top of the loaf with icing/confectioners' sugar, if desired.
- Once cooled, store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature, where it will keep well for 3-4 days.
- Enjoy this loaf sliced, as is or slice with a spread of butter. Slices would also make a lovely holiday dessert. Slice and plate, then serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream and/or a drizzle of warm toffee sauce.
Notes
More gingerbread recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Hi Deborah, I’m not clear what you are asking for. Could you clarify?