Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

My grandmother’s recipe for a classic spiced molasses cake is welcome anytime the weather is a little chilly! You’re just 6 ingredients (plus some spices) away from a slice of Gingerbread Cake straight from the loaf pan.

For the days you want just a small slice of cake and don’t feel like buttering and flouring the whole cake pan, think of loaf cakes!

I found this recipe in my grandmother’s recipe files, and it’s truly perfect.

What makes this the Best Gingerbread Recipe

What sets this recipe for gingerbread cake apart from the rest is the use of molasses and boiling water to evenly distribute the sweetness throughout the cake. We’re also using dark brown sugar for even more molasses richness, plus we’re swapping oil for a stick of butter because when has that ever been the wrong decision?

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Gingerbread Cake Recipe ingredients

• Butter. One stick (4 ounces) of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
• Dark Brown Sugar. One cup of dark brown sugar; light brown sugar is totally fine here, too!
• Eggs. Two large eggs.
• Flour. Two cups of all-purpose flour.
• Baking Soda. One teaspoon of baking soda. This is the only leavener in the batter because the acidity of the molasses reacts strongly with the baking soda and provides plenty of lift.
• Cinnamon. One teaspoon ground cinnamon.
• Cloves. One teaspoon ground cloves.
• Ground Ginger. Two teaspoons ground ginger.
• Molasses. One half-cup of molasses, but please do not use the health blackstrap molasses. The healthy version has a savory ham-like flavor, and it’s not good for baked goods. Grab the yellow jar with the word ‘Grandma’ on it. We also need 1/2 cup of boiling water.

How to make Gingerbread Cake

Tips for the best Gingerbread Loaf

• Measuring Molasses – The main component of this recipe is the molasses, and you really don’t want any of it to stick to the cup and not make it into the batter. The best way to prevent this is to spray the measuring cup with cooking spray before measuring out the molasses. Then, all of it will slide into the batter perfectly. Use the same cup to measure the water to make sure you get all of the good stuff out!

How to serve Gingerbread Cake

I let this gingerbread loaf cake cool completely, and then tip it out onto a wire rack. I slice it with a serrated knife and serve it as-is. If you want to amp it up a bit, serve it with a dollop of whipped cream that you spiked with some ginger syrup or ground ginger to extra spice.

Storing leftover Gingerbread Cake

This treat keeps on the counter for up to 2 days in an air-tight container. It will continue to keep for an extra 2-3 days in the fridge. You can freeze individual slices of gingerbread cake and defrost at room temperature before serving.

Small batch mini loaf recipe:

If you’re strictly here for small batch recipes and want to make this in a single mini 5-inch loaf pan, follow these ingredient amounts:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large egg white
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, and baking soda each.
2 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons boiling water

And reduce the baking time to 33-38 minutes, testing with a toothpick.

Continue to Content

Yield: 8

Gingerbread Cake Recipe

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Recipe for regular size gingerbread cake in a loaf pan and one mini loaf in a 5" x 3" x 2" pan in notes.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Instructions

1. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray very well and preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until combined.
3. Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine very well.
4. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger evenly over the surface. Stir to combine everything.
5. Spray a measuring cup with more cooking spray, and then measure out the molasses. Pour the molasses into the gingerbread batter (it should slide right out because of the cooking spray), and then measure out the hot water in the same cup and add that to the batter.
6. Stir everything together and then scrape the mixture into the loaf pan.
7. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, and then run a knife around the edges of the pan, and then carefully tilt the gingerbread loaf out of the pan and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

To make a single mini loaf in a 5"x3"x2" pan, follow the directions with these ingredient amounts and bake for 33-38 minutes, testing with a toothpick:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large egg white
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoon molasses (not blackstrap)
2 tablespoons boiling water

Storage: This treat keeps on the counter for up to 2 days in an air-tight container. It will continue to keep for an extra 2-3 days in the fridge. You can freeze individual slices of gingerbread cake and defrost at room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 1gSugar: 38gProtein: 5g

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