This Classic Gingerbread Loaf combines warm spices and rich treacle for a moist, flavorful treat perfect for cozy afternoons or holiday gatherings. With a tender crumb and a deep ginger flavor, it’s ideal served thickly sliced and buttered.
Total Time:1 hour 40 minutes
Yield:1 loaf
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
300g treacle
225g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge
250g whole milk, cold from the fridge
2 large eggs (100g without shell), at room temperature
Dry Ingredients
300g all-purpose flour, sifted
180g granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp (15g) ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cardamom
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and line a pullman or large loaf pan with butter and parchment paper, leaving some overhang to easily lift out the loaf.
Melt Treacle and Butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the treacle and cold butter. Stir occasionally until melted together, taking care not to let the mixture boil.
Add Milk and Cool: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the cold milk to slightly cool the mixture. Let it stand for 10 minutes to prevent scrambling the eggs later.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all spices. Stir well to combine evenly.
Incorporate Eggs: Once the treacle mixture has cooled, add the eggs and whisk thoroughly until well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
Pour Batter into Pan: Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading evenly.
Bake the Loaf: Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a skewer deep into the center; it should come out clean.
Cool: Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a while, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and Store: Serve thickly sliced with plenty of butter. Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
Using cold butter and milk helps control the temperature when combining ingredients, preventing the eggs from scrambling.
Make sure to grease and line the pan well for easy removal of the loaf.
If you prefer a sweeter loaf, you can add an additional 25-50g of sugar to the dry ingredients.
For a firmer crust, bake for the full time; if you like softer crust, check for doneness at 1 hour 10 minutes.
Store the loaf at room temperature to preserve moisture; refrigeration can dry it out.
Ground ginger is the key spice; fresh and good quality spices will enhance the flavor significantly.
