Gingerbread Loaf Cake
This gingerbread loaf cake is all the cozy spice of a gingerbread house without any of the construction — a soft, moist loaf loaded with ginger, cinnamon, and molasses, baked in a single pan and finished with a simple maple glaze. It slices cleanly, stays tender for days, and fills the kitchen with the smell of Christmas while it bakes.
The secret is the molasses: it keeps the crumb damp and dark and gives the cake its deep, old-fashioned gingerbread flavor. A spoonful of fresh grated ginger alongside the ground spices keeps the warmth bright instead of flat, and the loaf pan does the rest — even heat, a tall, even rise, and a crust that stays soft. Serve it warm with whipped cream, or pack slices for holiday gifts.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Servings: 10 slices
What You’ll Need
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
A good loaf pan bakes this cake evenly edge to edge — see our best loaf pan for banana bread guide for pans that release cleanly and brown evenly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat and prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the grated fresh ginger.
- Combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Stir in the hot water a little at a time until the batter is smooth and pourable; it will be thin, and that is normal.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack — at least 1 hour — before glazing.
- Glaze and serve. Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of milk until smooth, adding more milk a teaspoon at a time until it drizzles in a thick ribbon. Spoon over the cooled loaf and let it set for 10 minutes before slicing.
Tips for the Best Gingerbread Loaf Cake
- Use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap. Blackstrap is bitter and will overpower the spices; regular unsulphured molasses gives the classic sweet, dark gingerbread flavor.
- Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Stir just until the batter comes together — overmixing develops the gluten and turns a tender loaf dense and tough.
- It keeps beautifully. Wrapped tightly, this loaf stays moist for 4–5 days at room temperature, and it freezes well for up to 3 months — glaze after thawing.
Warm spices, dark molasses, and a soft, tender crumb — this gingerbread loaf cake is the easiest way to bring gingerbread to the holiday table.
