CLASSIC GINGERBREAD LOAF

 I’m always looking for quick and simple recipes that I can make for my family. Some of my staples when it comes to baking for the kids are classic recipes that I grew up with, as well as some new ones that I’ve stumbled upon. Typically, I like to bake on Sundays, I’ll often portion the recipe and freeze it ahead for our kids’ lunches for the week. You can read more about some of my daily tips for staying organized here, I’m sure you’ll find some of them very helpful! I have a delicious, classic gingerbread loaf that I’m sharing with you today, which I’ve adapted from this one, that I found on allrecipes.com – I tweaked some of the ingredients and baking time, and it quickly became a family favorite. I think you’ll enjoy this one too! If you’re looking for other easy and quick meals for your family, you can also check out some of my recent posts – Beanless Chili and Cream of Broccoli Soup – staples in my kitchen that everyone loves! Let’s get back to baking today…

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CLASSIC GINGERBREAD LOAF

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Classic Gingerbread Loaf

This simple and delicious gingerbread loaf is adapted from 'Favorite Old-Fashioned Gingerbread' on allrecipes.com - I've tweaked some of the spices and baking time.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Classic Gingerbread Loaf

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp confectioner's sugar sifted on top before serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9" baking pan, then flour - don't skip this step or the loaf will stick!

2. Cream butter and sugar together, beat in the egg, and mix thoroughly. Add molasses and mix well.

3. Mix all dry ingredients together and mix well. The mixture will seem somewhat dry at this stage.

4. Add boiling water and combine well. The mixture should be smooth with a creamy consistency. Pour into baking pan.

5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

6. Once cooled, sift confectioner's sugar on top, cut and serve!

Recipe Notes

*Different ovens vary, you may need to adjust your baking time. My oven is gas and I cut the baking time in half from the original recipe. Always check doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center, it should come out clean. However, I like to slightly 'underbake' this loaf for moistness - so my toothpick has a little bit of the mixture on it when it's finished. 

What I love about this classic gingerbread loaf is the the combination of the spices. I’ve adapted the recipe from the original one, mainly because I didn’t have ground cloves on hand at the time when I first tried it, and I also find cloves very strong in flavor. I substituted the cloves with ground nutmeg instead, and the results are delicious! I also doubled the cinnamon for added flavor – who doesn’t love extra cinnamon? Additionally, I doubled the salt, as I found the original recipe needed a little more flavor as well. After tweaking the ingredients a few different times, I found that these amounts yielded the best results. Make sure to pay attention to the baking time – my oven is gas, so it cooks quite fast, and I often have to adjust how long I’m baking something for – I cut the time in half for deliciously moist texture. 

This classic gingerbread loaf is so delicious right out of the oven as well – slice it up and spread some butter on it for a delicious breakfast treat. With the holidays around the corner, this is the perfect morning loaf to wake up to, with the comforting scent of those yummy spices travelling through the house!

I know you’ll love this recipe and so will your family and friends. Everyone I make this for can never get enough. I first found the original recipe a couple of years ago, and once I figured out the exact ingredients that I liked, it quickly became a staple for our kids. The hubs and I try not to eat too many treats like this one, we stick to a ketogenic diet – but this is too good not to indulge in, trust me! Thanks for reading, I hope you love this as much as we all do! xo

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