This cosy and delicious Gingerbread Loaf recipe combines the rich, warming flavours of golden syrup, ginger, and mixed spice into a soft, fluffy bake that's perfect for any occasion.
Best of all, it's super easy to make, requiring just a handful of pantry staples and minimal preparation time.
Our Gingerbread Loaf cake is a timeless classic that never fails to impress. Enjoy it plain and simple, or jazz it up with a drizzle of lemon icing or a simple dusting of icing sugar.
It's especially lovely to enjoy during the cooler months, particularly around the holiday season, when its warm, spiced flavours perfectly complement the festive mood.
If you love loaf-style cakes, don't miss my Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake and Marble Loaf Cake - both are easy to make and perfect with a cuppa.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Melt and mix: Simply melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan, mix it with the dry ingredients, and pour it into the tin and bake.
- Perfect for holiday baking: Gingerbread loaf is a treat that can be enjoyed year-round, but it feels extra magical during the Christmas season. Its warm, spiced aroma filling the house is simply irresistible.
Recipe Ingredients
Note: The full quantities are shown in the recipe card below.
- Plain flour - also known as all-purpose flour. Sieve the flour for best results.
- Ground ginger - the star ingredient!
- Mixed spice - for an extra layer of spice.
- Bicarbonate of soda - also known as baking soda.
- Soft brown sugar - gives the gingerbread a lovely dark colour.
- Unsalted butter - unsalted butter gives you complete control of the overall flavour of your recipe, as the salt content in different butter brands can vary a lot.
- Golden syrup - gives the gingerbread a lovely, rich flavour.
- Milk - use full cream or lite cow's milk.
- Large egg - lightly beaten.
- Stem ginger - or crystallised ginger (optional).
How to Make Gingerbread Loaf
Note: This is a summary of the instructions. The full ingredients and instructions are shown in the recipe card below.
- Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- Sieve the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring regularly until the butter is melted.
- Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients, with the milk and beaten egg, and stir until just combined. A few lumps are okay!
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
- Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Note
This gingerbread loaf recipe creates a light and fluffy texture rather than a dense, sticky texture typical of some gingerbread loaves.
Recipe Variations
Here are a couple of ideas to switch up this recipe:-
- More ginger - for an extra hit of ginger, stir some stem or crystallised ginger into the batter before baking.
- Topping - top the gingerbread with a dusting of icing sugar, cream cheese frosting or a drizzle of lemon icing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve a slice of the Gingerbread Loaf with a cup of tea or some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It also tastes lovely, popped in the toaster with lashings of butter.
Storage
The Gingerbread Loaf can be stored at room temperature (covered) for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
Occasionally, this happens when the oven door is opened prematurely before the cake is fully baked. Also, loaf cakes are prone to sinking due to their shape. It won't affect the flavour if it has sunk, and you can always cover the sunken bit with icing.
This recipe yields a loaf that is light and fluffy, rather than dense and sticky like some gingerbread loaves.
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📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Loaf
Equipment
- 2lb (900g) loaf tin, measuring approximately 22cm long x 11cm wide x 7cm deep (or one of a similar size)
Ingredients
- 225 g plain flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 60 g soft brown sugar
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 170 g golden syrup
- 60 mls milk (¼ cup)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Optional
- 50 g stem ginger in syrup, chopped into fine pieces (discard the syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160℃ fan/180℃. Grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin, leaving an overhang on each side.
- Sieve the plain flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre.
- Heat the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously until the butter has just melted.
- Add the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Add the milk and beaten egg and stir until just combined (a few lumps are okay). If using stem ginger, stir it in.
- Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 mins until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave it in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it on a baking rack to cool.
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