Gingerbread

A soft yet dense gingerbread full of wonderful holiday spices – ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. Bake this and make the house smell amazing!

Call me strange, but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had gingerbread before. I mean, I’ve had gingerbread cookies and gingerbread-flavored things (like ice cream!), but not a real slice of gingerbread. Why? I have no idea.

I’m starting to kick myself for not trying gingerbread sooner.

This loaf is perfectly dense and full of the classic gingerbread spices – ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, with a dash of cardamom and of course molasses. It’s a gingerbread cookie but in bread form.

The gingerbread made my house smell like the holidays, and I kept sniffing the aroma throughout the afternoon. Once I had a taste of the bread, I found myself sampling more and more of it until I almost ruined my dinner. Almost.

Feel free to substitute the all-purpose flour for whole wheat if you want to make this even healthier.

Gingerbread

A soft yet dense gingerbread full of wonderful holiday spices - ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom. Bake this and make the house smell amazing!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bread, Breakfast
Servings: 12
Author: Eva Bakes

Ingredients

  • 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
  • 3/4 cup molasses not blackstrap
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a standard 9"x5" loaf pan and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and salt together. Set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan, boil 1/2 cup of water. Add the butter and stir to melt completely. Add in the molasses and stir until smooth. Take the saucepan off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  • Add in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. A few lumps are OK.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan and bake in your preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (the gingerbread might sink in the center, and that's OK). Cool completely in the pan, then inverted onto a wire rack to release.

Notes

Gingerbread should be stored in an airtight container and keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It will keep for a few days.
Source: How to Bake Everything by Mark Bittman

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