Gingerbread Loaf

Gingerbread Loaf – A wonderfully soft and moist gingerbread loaf cake, packed with warm spices and rich molasses flavour, and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. Perfect for the festive season!

There’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of freshly baked gingerbread filling your kitchen! This homemade Gingerbread Loaf is wonderfully soft, moist, and tender, with a delicious blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Rich molasses or black treacle gives the cake its beautiful warm-brown colour and deep, traditional gingerbread flavour, while a sweet vanilla glaze adds the perfect finishing touch.

This easy homemade loaf is made with simple ingredients, including melted butter and Greek-style yoghurt for a beautifully tender texture. There’s no complicated preparation involved, just a deliciously spiced cake that’s perfect for cosy winter afternoons, festive gatherings, or enjoying with a warm cuppa. It’s a lovely bake to make throughout the Christmas season!

Looking for more delicious gingerbread recipes? Try my Gingerbread Bundt Cake, Gingerbread Cupcakes, or Gingerbread Men.

Happy baking,

Marsha x

From the recipe box

Gingerbread Loaf

A wonderfully soft and moist gingerbread loaf cake, packed with warm spices and rich molasses flavour, and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. Perfect for the festive season!

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Prep 20 minutes minutes

Cook 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Yields 1 loaf

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Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Loaf

• 250 g plain/all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 150 g light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 115 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 180 g plain Greek-style yogurt
• 150 g molasses/black treacle
• 60 ml hot water

For the Vanilla Glaze

• 125 g icing/powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 – 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

For the Gingerbread Loaf

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 23 × 13cm (9 × 5-inch) loaf tin with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and light brown sugar until smooth and combined.
• Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, yogurt, and molasses, and whisk until smooth and well combined.
• Carefully whisk in the hot water until fully incorporated.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and spread it out evenly.
• Bake for 55–70 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminium foil during the final 15–20 minutes.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Vanilla Glaze

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Add a little more milk, if needed, to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
• Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled gingerbread loaf and leave to set before slicing and serving.

Recipe notes

Molasses: Use regular unsulphured molasses or black treacle for the best gingerbread flavour. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which can be too bitter.

Yogurt: Plain Greek-style yogurt helps keep the loaf soft and moist. Sour cream can also be used.

Storage: Store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing: The unglazed loaf freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly and thaw at room temperature before adding the glaze.