Sweet and Spicy Frosted Gingerbread Loaf
Gingerbread is one of those iconic holiday flavors that’s perfect from Thanksgiving all the way to the New Year (and perhaps a few other times throughout the year when you need to pretend that it’s Christmas. Anyone else ever been there?) Today, we’re sharing a delicious, easy recipe for a Sweet and Spicy Frosted Gingerbread Loaf. This gingerbread loaf is full of aromatic spices and the rich sweetness of honey and molasses. This gingerbread loaf is surprisingly simple to make, too; it’s the perfect treat to bake, share, and enjoy all throughout the holiday season! You may even want to make a loaf (or 10) to give away to friends as gifts.
First, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a loaf pan; most are 9 X 5 inches. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, blend the butter, molasses, honey, cream, vanilla, and eggs until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and brown sugar and mix until smooth. I think the thing that makes this gingerbread recipe really stand out from the boxed mix gingerbreads that you see a lot this time of year are the authentic, traditional flavors of molasses and honey. These ingredients are also responsible for helping the final product stay moist!
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves until well blended. If you eat gluten-free (I do) you can easily adapt this recipe by just using gluten free flour. (This one is my favorite for baking desserts, and Amazon has the best price.) Whether you use regular or gluten-free flour, the mixture at this point should smell pretty heavenly—basically like Christmas in a bowl (You may want to sniff it to be sure!).
Add your dry ingredient blend to mixing bowl of wet ingredients a little bit at a time, being sure to mix between additions.
When all the flour has been added, turn mixer to medium speed and blend well for about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and pop it into your pre-heated oven.
Bake your gingerbread for about 45 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once it’s baked all the way through, take it out and place it on a wire rack to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then turn the loaf out onto the wire rack to finish cooling completely.
While your gingerbread is cooling is a great time to make the frosting! This simple cream cheese frosting may soon become one of your go-to recipes to use as a finishing touch for all kinds of desserts! It’s so easy and so good.
First, rinse out your mixing bowl and place the softened cream cheese inside. Blend with the whisk attachment on your mixer until it’s smooth and creamy. Next, add in the vanilla and the heavy whipping cream and blend. Add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time until all the powdered sugar has been added. The amounts in the recipe attachment (below) should yield the right consistency. However, if you need to make it thicker or thinner, you can add more powdered sugar or cream.
Place the mixing bowl full of frosting in the refrigerator until the gingerbread loaf is completely cool. When the loaf is cooled, ice the whole loaf with the icing.
Have leftover frosting? We never do in our house…it always mysteriously vanishes! Anyway, if you do, you can keep it in a small container in the refrigerator. Then, when serving the Gingerbread loaf, you can add a little icing to individual pieces if desired.
Serve and enjoy! Each loaf should make about 8-10 servings.
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Sweet and Spicy Frosted Gingerbread Loaf
Description
This deliciously sweet and spicy gingerbread loaf is the perfect treat to bake, share and enjoy all throughout the holiday season! The rich cream cheese frosting makes it extra special. You may even want to make a loaf (or 10) to give away to friends!
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread:
- 2 cups of flour (make it gluten free by using King Arthur Flour)
- 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 stick of butter – melted
- 3/4 cup of Molasses
- 1/2 cup of raw natural honey – with the comb in the jar
- 2 eggs – beaten
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
For the Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream (more if needed)
- 3 – 4 ounces of cream cheese
Instructions
To Make the Gingerbread:
Set the oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour a loaf pan (most are 9 X 5 inches.)
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, blend the butter, molasses, honey, cream, vanilla and eggs until smooth and creamy.
Add the sugar, and brown sugar, and mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
Add the to mixing bowl a little at a time, mixing between additions.
When all the flour has been added, turn mixer to medium speed, and blend well for about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix again.
Pour batter into loaf pan, and bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, and place on a wire rack to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Turn the loaf out onto the wire rack, and cool completely.
To Make the Icing:
While the loaf is cooling, make the icing.
Rinse out the mixing bowl, and place the cream cheese in the bowl.
Blend with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla and cream, then blend.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been added.
If the icing is too thick, add a few drops of the cream. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator until the Gingerbread loaf is completely cool.
When the loaf is cool, place it on a serving plate, or bread plate, and ice the whole loaf with the icing. Place the left over icing in a small container, and keep in the refrigerator.
When serving the Gingerbread loaf, you can add a little icing to individual pieces if desired.
Serve and Enjoy!
