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As the holiday season approaches, there’s nothing quite like the warm, spiced aroma of gingerbread wafting through your kitchen. This gingerbread loaf with cream cheese frosting is a delightful treat that perfectly captures the essence of the season, making it ideal for cozy gatherings or a sweet afternoon snack. Packed with rich flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses, this moist loaf is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting that adds a creamy touch to every bite. It’s an easy recipe that comes together with just a few simple ingredients, making it perfect for both novice bakers and seasoned pros. Once you take a slice, you’ll be transported to a winter wonderland with every delicious mouthful!
Treat yourself to this gingerbread loaf with cream cheese icing and fall in love with the deeply spiced flavors.
If you love gingerbread flavors, you’ve got to try gingerbread oat bars, filled gingerbread cookies, or Starbucks copycat iced gingerbread latte.
Why You’ll Love It
Warm and cozy flavors: This gingerbread loaf is packed with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, making it the perfect treat for chilly days.
Rich and moist texture: The combination of molasses, sour cream, and butter gives you a loaf that’s incredibly moist and tender.
Versatile enjoyment: Whether you like it plain, with a smear of butter, or topped with creamy frosting, this loaf is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.
Easy to make: With simple steps and everyday ingredients, this gingerbread cake loaf recipe is straightforward.
Ingredients for a Classic Gingerbread Loaf
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour: The foundation of this gingerbread recipe.
Spices: A warm blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg gives this recipe its authentic taste.
Baking powder and baking soda: Helps the loaf rise, ensuring a light and fluffy texture.
Salted butter: Brings moisture and richness. It’s in both the cake batter and the frosting.
Sugar: You’ll use both white and brown sugar in this recipe.
Egg: Provide structure, moisture, and a slightly richer texture.
Sour cream: Adds moisture and a slight tang, contributing to the loaf’s tender crumb.
Molasses: Essential for that classic gingerbread flavor, adding moisture and a deep, rich sweetness. Use a light molasses.
Cream cheese: Creates a creamy, tangy base for the frosting, balancing the loaf’s sweetness.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting while keeping it smooth and spreadable.
How to Make an Iced Gingerbread Loaf
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set this aside.
Make the batter: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and sour cream to the bowl and mix until combined. Then, pour in the molasses and mix again.
Mix in the dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
Bake the loaf: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place the prepared pan on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool: Remove the loaf from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and salt.
Frost the loaf: Spoon the frosting on top and spread it evenly over the cooled loaf.
Substitutions and Variations
Molasses: Pure maple syrup or honey may be used instead. If used, it will change the flavor and be less of a traditional flavor. I don’t recommend blackstrap molasses as I find the flavor too intense in a homemade gingerbread loaf.
Flour: Swap all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a denser, more nutritious loaf. If gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour.
Butter: Use unsalted butter plus an additional pinch of salt, or replace it with coconut oil for a dairy-free option.
Sour cream: Use Greek yogurt or buttermilk as a substitute for sour cream. For a dairy-free option, use a non-dairy yogurt.
Orange-spiced gingerbread: Add 1 tablespoon of orange zest to the batter for a citrusy twist. You can also drizzle a simple orange glaze on top instead of cream cheese frosting.
Nutty gingerbread: Stir in ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds into the batter for added texture and flavor.
Chocolate gingerbread: Mix in ½ cup of mini chocolate chips or a swirl of melted chocolate into the batter for a rich, indulgent variation.
Make mini loaves: Adjust the baking time.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Go bold with an antipasti Christmas tree or Italian soup with meatballs.
Main: Serve sheet pan turkey, honey ham or this apple cider brine turkey.
Dessert: End with a slice of gingerbread loaf cake with cream cheese frosting.
How to Store Gingerbread Loaf
Store: The loaf can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can stretch it to 5 days if you store it in the fridge.
Freezer: Wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place it in a freezer-safe bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Thaw: To thaw, place the wrapped loaf in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours until fully thawed.
Top Tips
Don’t overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the loaf dense and tough.
Use fresh spices: For the best flavor, use fresh spices. Ground spices lose their potency over time, so if yours are older, consider replacing them.
Check for doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf to test doneness. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, but not wet batter.
Cool completely before frosting: Make sure the loaf is completely cool before adding the frosting, or it will melt and become runny.
Add a foil tent: If the top of the loaf is browning too quickly during baking, loosely cover it with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning while the center finishes baking.
Use parchment paper: For easy removal, line the loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on the sides. This makes lifting the loaf out of the pan a breeze.
Spiced Gingerbread Loaf FAQs
Yes, a hand mixer works fine for this recipe. Just be sure to mix on medium speed and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
To reduce the sweetness of the frosting, use less powdered sugar or add a bit more cream cheese. You can also add a pinch more salt to balance the flavors.
If you’re missing some of the spices, you can use a pre-made pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice blend instead. Just use 2 tablespoons in place of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the toothpick comes out with wet batter, continue baking and check again in 5-minute intervals.
Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Loaf Recipe
Gingerbread Loaf
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
For the Loaf:
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- 2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ Teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
- ½ Teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ Teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 Cup salted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ Cup white sugar
- ¼ Cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- ⅓ Cup molasses
For the Frosting:
- 4 Ounces cream cheese
- ½ Cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 Teaspoon whole milk
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Pinch salt
Instructions
Make the Loaf:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with baking spray, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat on a medium-high speed until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the eggs and sour cream to the stand mixer bowl and mix to combine. Add in the molasses and mix to incorporate. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and place into the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Once baked, remove the gingerbread loaf from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and salt on a medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Frost the Gingerbread Loaf:
- Once the loaf has cooled completely, remove it from the tin and place it onto a platter or cake stand. Spoon the frosting onto the loaf and spread evenly.
Notes
Use fresh spices: For the best flavor, use fresh spices. Ground spices lose their potency over time, so if yours are older, consider replacing them.
Check for doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf to test doneness. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, but not wet batter.
Cool completely before frosting: Make sure the loaf is completely cool before adding the frosting, or it will melt and become runny.
Add a foil tent: If the top of the loaf is browning too quickly during baking, loosely cover it with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning while the center finishes baking.
Use parchment paper: For easy removal, line the loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on the sides. This makes lifting the loaf out of the pan a breeze.
Nutrition
This recipe delivers a gingerbread loaf that’s melt-in-your-mouth soft, moist, and lightly sweet with a pleasantly dense texture. Infused with your favorite warm spices, it’s topped with a creamy, rich cream cheese frosting that’s irresistibly smooth. It’s the ideal holiday treat to share with friends and family.
Other Festive Recipes to Try
- Make these cranberry brie bites for an easy appetizer that everyone will love.
- Cheesy veggie casserole is one of those vegetable dishes everyone reaches for.
- For a main with a touch of fancy, try this beef dish stuffed with cranberry cream cheese!
- This creamy pumpkin sausage gnocchi is really good.
- And this autumn salad is crisp and delicious.
- This galette with cranberries has a pretty rustic theme.
- Linzer cookies are the ultimate classic treat to try.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
The gingerbread loaf made the whole house smell amazing! My family couldn’t stop talking about it.
II baked this gingerbread loaf with cream cheese frosting, and it was fantastic! The spices were perfect, and the frosting added a deliciously creamy touch. It’s a must-make for the holidays
I loved the frosting on it. So moist!