Soft, moist, and intensely flavored, this gingerbread loaf is packed with molasses, ginger, and cozy winter spices, then finished with a sweet orange icing.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and helpful success tips.
Today’s richly spiced gingerbread loaf is breakfast, bread, snack, and dessert all rolled into one. It’s wonderfully versatile: You can make the loaf as muffins (see recipe Notes) to enjoy in the morning with a cup of coffee, or serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a simple homestyle dessert. Savor a slice with tea in the afternoon, or top with homemade whipped cream and sugared cranberries for a beautiful finale to your holiday meal.
The possibilities are endless!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Loaf
One of the many things I love about this recipe is the smell as it bakes: between the busy days of the season, this recipe fills your kitchen with something invitingly warm, cozy, and unmistakably gingerbread. We love it.
If you need even more convincing, it’s:
- Deeply spiced and moist with rich molasses flavor
- Not overly sweet
- Easy to make
- Perfect any time of day
- Adaptable into muffins or cupcakes (see Notes)
- Delicious with or without the icing!
Ingredients You Need & Why
These are all pantry basics that you may already have on hand:
- Flour: This is a dense, moist cake/quick bread, so we need sturdy all-purpose flour as the base.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps it rise.
- Salt & Spices: This is deeply spiced gingerbread. There’s plenty of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. I also add a pinch of black pepper. I love it so much in my pumpkin pie, I figured why not in gingerbread too? There’s not much—only 1/8 teaspoon—but just enough to make this a super spiced gingerbread, unlike any others I’ve ever tried.
- Unsulphured Molasses: Molasses comes in varying intensities, ranging from light to dark to blackstrap. Just like for these gingerbread oatmeal cookies, for today’s loaf we’re using dark molasses, also sold as “robust” or “full flavor” molasses. A couple brands I like: Grandma’s Robust Molasses and Brer Rabbit Full Flavor Molasses. I do not recommend using blackstrap molasses, which can be too strong and bitter. If you want a slightly sweeter, milder flavor, use a molasses that’s labeled “light” or “mild,” such as Grandma’s Original.
- Water: We use hot water to thin out the molasses and provide some liquid for the gingerbread batter.
- Butter: Adds flavor and moisture. Make sure it’s properly softened to room temperature before beginning.
- Brown Sugar: I recommend using dark brown sugar for extra molasses flavor and moisture. If all you have is light brown, that’s completely fine!
- Egg: One egg binds everything together.
- Vanilla Extract: A must! Vanilla pairs wonderfully with all of the spices.
Expect a Semi-Thin Batter
The batter comes together with a mixer. Be sure to mix the molasses with hot water to break it down and thin it out, then incorporate it into the wet ingredients alternating with the dry ingredients. The batter is slightly thin.
Use an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan. The loaf pan in these photos is 8.5×4.5 inches and that size works as well! The bake time will vary by a few minutes depending which size you choose.
Optional Icing
This is a very simple, quick orange icing for drizzling on top. The gingerbread itself is moist, deeply spiced, and not overly sweet, so the loaf is just as delicious plain. That said, I highly suggest the citrus icing because it adds a light, fragrant contrast to the molasses and warm spices. The icing is made with just 2 ingredients: orange juice and confectioners’ sugar. If you prefer, you can top with vanilla icing instead.
And if you’d like to dress it up with a little holiday sparkle, top the gingerbread loaf with sugared cranberries. It’s also delicious with a spiced cream cheese frosting, like we use on this (very similar!) gingerbread cake.
Success Tips for the Best Gingerbread Loaf
Use dark (robust) molasses, not blackstrap; this is key for flavor without bitterness.
- Make sure the butter is properly softened so it creams smoothly with the brown sugar. See room temperature butter for more information if you’re interested.
- Use dark brown sugar for even deeper flavor. It’s what I use and recommend.
- Avoid overbaking. Start checking at the low end; a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
More Gingerbread Recipes
- Gingerbread Muffins or Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Gingerbread Blossoms
- Homemade Gingerbread House
- Gingerbread Waffles
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Spiced Gingerbread Loaf
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft, moist, and deeply spiced gingerbread loaf made with rich molasses and warm winter spices, then finished with a simple orange icing drizzle. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert; and easily adaptable into muffins.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup (226g) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 3/4 cup (180g/ml) hot water (about 100°F (38°C))
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer dark in this recipe)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Orange Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2–3 Tablespoons (30–45g/ml) orange juice
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan. (I use and recommend 8×4-inch or 8.5×4.5-inch.) Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper together until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the molasses and hot water together.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until creamed together, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the hot water/molasses, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Avoid over-mixing; a few small lumps are OK. Batter will be slightly thin. Pour and spread the batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes (or 55–65 minutes for a smaller 8×4-inch pan), or until the gingerbread loaf is baked through. All ovens are different, and your loaf may take a little more or less time. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean with just a few moist (not wet) crumbs, it’s done.
- Place the baking pan on a cooling rack. Cool the loaf in the pan for 1 hour before removing from the pan. Place the loaf directly on the cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together until smooth. Drizzle over cooled loaf.
- Tightly cover or wrap leftover gingerbread loaf and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor gets even better after a day or two!
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The loaf can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. The loaf can be frozen (without icing) for up to 2 months. Wrap the cooled loaf in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw overnight (still wrapped) in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before icing and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan or 8×4-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Can I Leave Out the Black Pepper? Yes, you can skip it. I like it in this loaf because it deepens the spice flavor, similar to how it accentuates the spices in pumpkin pie.
- Molasses: Molasses comes in varying intensities, ranging from light to dark to blackstrap. For today’s loaf we’re using dark molasses, also sold as “robust” or “full flavor” molasses. A few brands I like: Grandma’s Robust Molasses, Brer Rabbit Full Flavor Molasses, or Wholesome!’s Organic Molasses. I do not recommend using blackstrap molasses, which can be too strong and bitter. If you want a slightly sweeter, milder flavor, use a molasses that’s labeled “light” or “mild,” such as Grandma’s Original.
- Muffins or Cupcakes: Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Pour the batter into the liners. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20–22 minutes. Makes about 10–12. I also have separate recipes for gingerbread cupcakes and gingerbread muffins.
- Optional Icing: The gingerbread itself is moist, deeply spiced, and not overly sweet, so the loaf is just as delicious plain. That said, I highly suggest the citrus icing because it adds a light, fragrant contrast to the molasses and warm spices. If you prefer, you can top with vanilla icing instead.
Reader Comments and Reviews
How would you incorporate fresh grated ginger into this?
Hi Meg, You can definitely use fresh ginger here. Feel free to skip the ground ginger and replace with 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger.
Humm…the BSoda might be that old. But it was definitely cooked inside.
Thanks for your response!
Can I substitute the butter for something else?
Hi Gayle! Solid coconut oil could replace the butter– other than that, I recommend sticking with softened butter.
Good morning: I saw an earlier question asking about using a bundt pan. Would I have to double the recipe or would a single recipe work in a bundt pan? Thank you!
Hi Kristen, We haven’t tested this in a Bundt pan, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. It might be better to make the batter twice instead of doubling, then combining them for the Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time but you can use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
I tried this in a Bundt pan, and doubled the recipe. It worked perfectly! The cooking time was between 50-60 mins, but I watched it closely after 50 mins (at 60, it was a touch dry in my oven).
Awesome recipe! I read through some of the comments and added slightly more brown sugar (1/2 cup) for a sweeter cake and 1/3 cup applesauce – the applesauce made the cake incredibly moist. Highly recommend!
Received in an email today, had all ingredients so made it.
DELICIOUS!
Was concerned as the consistency of the creamed butter, sugar, egg, Vanilla looked a bit odd. But thought I’d go ahead and see if it was right. Yum
I did as directed and made little mini loaves. So good. Thank you.
could diced apples or pears be added?
Definitely!
Made this recipe as muffins. Tender and delicious!
This has the ginger bread fast of my dreams! I was careful not to overbake (kept poking it to make sure I removed it as soon as skewer came out clean) but it came out a bit dry. What can I add to increase moisture, apple sauce?
Hi Sarah! I’m sure you could add about 1/3 cup (80g) room temperature applesauce when you mix in the egg. I haven’t tested this but it would likely yield a moister loaf.
Absolutely unreal! What a delicious tender cake! I personally love bitter flavors and the contrast between the molasses and the pepper is perfect. I added a bit more juice in my glaze (tangerine) because I like how much the acid cuts the sweetness of the loaf. A real winner!
I made this today and holy smokes! I added some orange zest into the batter since an orange was going to be sacrificed for the icing and pumped up the ginger and cinnamon based on comments I read here. My house smells like heaven and this loaf tastes just like the holidays!
This recipe looks identical to your Spiced Gingerbread Loaf, the only difference being the size/shape of the pan. Am I missing something? I was trying to decide which one to make and couldn’t seem to see any other difference. Thank you.
Hi Tess! This gingerbread loaf recipe is the same as my gingerbread snack cake (is that the recipe you meant to comment on?). The loaf is darker in color because I used a darker molasses.
Made these as muffins this morning while waiting for my scones (also from your site) to chill. Didn’t want to bother with the separate spices since I had Epicure gingerbread seasoning…took a guess and used 3 tsp and then added the pepper separate. Just glazed them with the orange glaze and holy cow! This will be my go to baking site from now until the end of time lol sooooo moist and flavorful. Like someone else suggested, I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar rather than 1/3. Perfect!
Can I substitute orange juice for the water?
I haven’t tested it, but my recommendation is– if you want the orange flavor– only substitute some of the hot water. I wouldn’t use a full 3/4 cup of orange juice.
This turned out great though it was not as brown as yours as I substituted molasses with a combination of treacle and honey. Nevertheless, the taste was lovely Thank you Sally! ❤️
This gingerbread loaf sounds delicious! Do you think pecans would work in it? I’m trying to use up all my pecans from Christmas.
Sally,
I made this last night. It was one of the easier recipes of the ones that came up on my search. It was simple to make and turned out delicious. I did not have enough molasses so I added syrup as well and a little extra clove. My 2 year old loves it. We substituted vegan butter due to his milk allergy and the taste is great!!!
My sister who lives in France recently made this for her mother in law’s birthday and sent me a picture and described the aroma floating through her house. I had to ask for the recipe and I’ve since made it three times since Christmas. It is New Year’s Day today. I literally cannot live without this loaf. It is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten, let alone made myself. The recipe is almost perfect for me! I use 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar instead of 1/3 because I find it just a tad too unsweet. But I will say that I have not made the icing as I like to eat it plain. Thank you for the gem. I’ve been thinking of all the people I can make this for. I will make this forever!
Hi Sally wondering like others why yours is so dark and the ones we are making are more of a pecan color. Give up the secret gurl lol
Hi Lorraine! See above. 🙂 No secret! I simply used Wholesome brand dark molasses, which is pretty dark in color. You can see in my gingerbread snack cake (basically the same recipe) that it’s lighter. There I used Grandma’s brand.
Hi Sally, I was actually looking for a chocolate cake when I came across this recipe, I did a quick change of plan since I had all the ingredients and made this cake yesterday for a dinner with friends. I like it a lot and will add it to my recipe files. One thing though, I added less than the required amount of orange juice with a slightly heaping cup of powdered sugar and the drizzle was more transparent, than it was white. It was still nice, but I was looking for the contrast.
Do you think it would be possible to double this recipe and bake in a Bundt pan?
Hi Maggie! I haven’t tried it, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. It might be better to make the batter twice instead of doubling, then combining them for the Bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time but you can use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
I made this loaf yesterday and while it is moist and taste fine, I’m actually surprised it doesn’t taste more…like gingerbread? I used Grandma’s molasses and followed the recipe exactly. Could I add more spices?
Absolutely! Feel free to add more spices. Did you use the full 1 and 1/2 teaspoons each of cinnamon and ginger, plus the cloves and pepper?
Yes, which is why I was a little disappointed. I thought it would takes similar to your gingerbread cookies. I may increase to 2 tsp of the cinnamon and ginger each, 1/2 tsp of cloves, and 1/4 of pepper. Thanks!
Hey Sally!Great flavor!I was surprised as to how quick it was gone!The only thing I was wondering is that yours looks so dark and pretty and mine came out more light like a chocolate brown.It still looked nice but I loved that dark coloring
Hi Sally,
I made this recipe on the weekend in 40 degree heat (in Brisbane Queensland). I really wanted to make it so I thought there is no time like the present. I didn’t have any molasses and thought I had enough golden syrup that would be a good substitute. I didn’t have enough of the golden syrup so I topped this off with honey. It was delicious. It was so light and airy and easy to make. I didn’t ice it as we like to put some butter on it and have it with a cup of tea. Great recipe!
I love the flavor of this loaf. It’s probably a good thing I froze individual slices of it otherwise i probably would have eaten it in one day! The only reason I put 4 stars was because it still stuck to the bottom of the pan, even after spraying generously with non-stick spray. Could I use parchment next time? Or do I need to spray even more?
Hi Lydia! It could have been your pan OR it just wasn’t greased enough. Easy fix for next time– either line with parchment or use extra nonstick spray.
I tried this recipe over Thanksgiving, and everyone loved it. It has a richer molasses and gingerbread taste than the one I relied on for years. Also threw in some dried cranberries
Hi Sally! I’m wondering if this loaf could be sliced after cooling, wrapped individually, and then frozen in a large sealed bag? I’m thinking for ease of access for breakfasts, I could just pull out a slice and it’d defrost by the time I get to work. Also, freeze with the glaze or without?
Hi Lydia! Yes, and I do that often. You can slice and freeze individual slices. And you can freeze with or without the icing– I’ve done it both ways. The icing thaws just fine on the slices.
Sally – was wondering if putting a lil orange rind in batter would enhance or take away from loaf! Love your recipes.
Would be delicious! I love citrus and gingerbread together.
This recipe is perfection!!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing it!
So tasty! I made this using one of those Nordic Ware cakelet pans, and while I ultimately wouldn’t recommend it for that (I think it rose a bit more than you want batter to when you use those pans? I’m not actually sure – I’ve never used one before), the resulting mini cakes taste SO GOOD. Next time I’ll bake it as a loaf or as muffins. Yum!