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.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9" baking pan, then flour - don't skip this step or the loaf will stick!
Cream butter and sugar together, beat in the egg, and mix thoroughly. Add molasses and mix well.
Mix all dry ingredients together and mix well. The mixture will seem somewhat dry at this stage.
Add boiling water and combine well. The mixture should be smooth with a creamy consistency. Pour into baking pan.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Once cooled, sift confectioner's sugar on top, cut and serve!
*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.