Gingerbread Loaf

If you’re going to make a gingerbread loaf, I say use the fresh version of the namesake ingredient instead of the ground. Finely grated ginger and its juices wend their way throughout the batter, imparting a bit more warmth without overpowering the overall flavor. As the oven heats up the spices and molasses too, your house will smell more and more like the holidays.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup milk
⅓ cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
¼ cup canola oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and preparing a medium-sized loaf pan by greasing the sides and laying a piece of parchment to fit the bottom. I prefer to use a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan for this recipe.

Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg and set aside.

Whisk the milk, molasses, and canola oil in a small bowl. Add the freshly grated ginger. (A little extra is fine here!). A microplane works well for grating the ginger and will give you soft, very fine pieces. Stir the ginger into the molasses mixture and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.

Alternately add the flour and the molasses mixtures, using three additions for the flour and two for the molasses. Take care not to over-beat. Pour batter into loaf pan.

Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, being careful not to over-bake. Remove loaf from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before turning out of pan. Invert again so that the loaf is right side up. Cool completely. Top with powdered sugar if desired.