The batter for this soft, moist Gingerbread Loaf Cake is mixed in a blender! Quickly and easily bake these scrumptious loaf cakes and fill your kitchen with the warming aromas of cinnamon and ginger this holiday season. Bake some to enjoy and some to gift!
Why you'll love this recipe
This Gingerbread Loaf recipe is all about simple and easy. I used the cake spice blend to cut down on ingredients. If you don’t have cake spice, you can substitute the ginger and cake spice with 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon allspice, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
A blender isn’t required for making this Gingerbread Loaf, you can mix this batter with a stand mixer too. I found that mixing with a blender is super quick. Just a few pulses combined the ingredients and produced a batter that baked up soft and tender.
When using a blender for cake batter, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Using these tips will allow the ingredients to combine properly and keep the cake from turning out tough and chewy.
How to use a blender for baking
- Add all of the wet ingredients first.
- Add the dry ingredients after the liquid ingredients have been combined.
- Use the pulse feature only for minimal mixing. Overmixing the batter will produce a rubbery loaf.
- If the recipe calls for add-ins, like chocolate chips or nuts, add those last. Only pulse once or twice, or mix by hand, to distribute the add-ins without chopping them up.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Coat loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In the blender, pulse to combine the oil, molasses, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the blender, one half at a time, pulsing just until mixed.
- Pour the gingerbread batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes (mini loaves) or 50 minutes (large loaf) with the oven temperature set to 350 degrees F.
Storage
Wrapped airtight in plastic wrap, this homemade gingerbread loaf stays fresh at room temperature for 7-10 days.
Related recipes
For another recipe with delicious spices and molasses flavor, next time try these Gingerbread Cookies.
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My experience with this recipe
I love gingerbread in all of its forms, whether chewy cookies and bars, or tender cakes. My only requirement is that I don’t want gingerbread that tastes like cloves. I hate cloves.
I often tweak the spices in gingerbread recipes by leaving out the cloves, substituting additional cinnamon or ginger.
Recently I read a British recipe for gingerbread cake that didn’t list the spices individually. Instead, the recipe called for a blend called cake spice.
In the United Kingdom, cake spice is a common blend, commercial or homemade, often used in Christmas baking. The blend is made of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves, and sometimes includes star anise as well. The cloves worried me.
Cake spice isn’t available at my American supermarket. However, I found some at Penzey’s Spices. One sniff of this heavenly blend reassured me that cloves only played a supporting role.
Gingerbread may be the best part of winter. A slice of this easy gingerbread loaf is so good with your morning coffee!
This recipe makes four mini loaves. The warming spices and sweet, soft cake are a holiday treat you will want to savor and to share.
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Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cocoa
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cake spice* see note
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup molasses mild
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray the loaf pans with cooking spray. Use a strip of parchment paper to line the long sides and bottom of the pans. Flour the unlined sides.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa, ginger, and cake spice.
- In the blender, pulse the oil, molasses, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture. Pulse to combine. Add the remaining flour and pulse just until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 25-30 minutes for mini loaves or 50-55 minutes for large loaf, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Use the overhanging parchment strips to lift the loaves out of the pans and onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Wrapped airtight in plastic wrap, Gingerbread Loaves stay fresh for 7-10 days.
Notes
- Cake spice is a British spice blend available in the United States from Penzey’s spice stores and online. The mixture includes traditional holiday spices; ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and sometimes star anise. Cake spice provides a gingerbread flavor to baked goods. If no cake spice is available, substitute the ginger and cake spice in this recipe with 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
- Add all of the wet ingredients to the blender first.
- Add the dry ingredients after the liquid ingredients have been combined.
- Use the pulse feature only for minimal mixing. Overmixing the batter will produce a rubbery loaf.
- If using add-ins, like chocolate chips or nuts, add those last. Only pulse once or twice, or mix by hand, to distribute the add-ins without chopping them up.
Nutrition
First Published: December 18, 2019. Last Updated: October 30, 2021. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
Amy
Want to make 9x5 and not 4 smaller loaves
How do I adjust
Wendy Sondov
The only adjustment is to the baking time. The recipe instructions (on the recipe card and in the post instructions) suggest that one large loaf pan (like you 9x5) will need to bake for about 50-55 minutes. Be sure to use the toothpick test for doneness.
Carlee
I have become a gingerbread lover these last few years after thinking I didn't like. This loaf looks so dark and delicious!
Wendy Sondov
Thanks, Carlee. I think the ratio of the spices used can really alter the taste of gingerbread. I LOVE gingerbread usually, but too many cloves and I don't like it at all. The dark color is due to cocoa (mostly for color and to bring out other flavors), the molasses, and a bit of aging. The loaves in the photo were shot a week after baking. Still moist and delicious but darker!
Peggy Carroll-Tornberg
Have you ever made this with brown sugar? Can’t wait to make this in the am!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Peggy. I haven't tried this with brown sugar but it sounds like an excellent idea. Let me know how it turns out. I think I will give it a try too!