Gingerbread Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Warmly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, all spice, and molasses, this Gingerbread Loaf Cake is the definition of a slice of Christmas! This decadent version of a spice cake features every heart-warming and cozy flavor you could wish for, and is ultra-moist! Yes, you heard me right! Say good-bye to dry Christmas loaf cakes, and hello to the most perfectly moist, tender, and  rich Christmas Gingerbread Loaf Cake ever! Wait, wait! I’m not done! To top it all off, this wonderful loaf cake is then glazed with a Maple Cream Cheese Glaze. Alright, you can start drooling now. 

Oil vs Butter for the Gingerbread Loaf Cake

When looking at this recipe for Gingerbread Loaf Cake, you will notice that I didn’t use butter, and instead used oil as my fat. WAIT! Hear me out!  First, its easy. Using oil instead of butter makes such easy work of a cake. There’s no need to plan in advance and pull out the butter – you can just grab the oil and start! But the reasoning for using oil is beyond the easiness – 9 times out of 10 it results in a superior texture! Oil-based cakes make for a much moister and more tender texture. Why, you ask? Well, oil does a better job at encapsulating the flour molecules better than butter does. This superior encapsulation results in better lubrication and less gluten formation! YAY!

What all this means is that the cake will be more tender and more moist! While butter provides excellent flavor in a cake or cupcake recipe, if I can get away with using oil, I will always choose oil. And, in this Gingerbread Loaf Cake, which is obviously heavily flavored with several different heart-warming spices, you’re really not going to miss the flavor that butter provides. It’s a win-win!

What Type of Oil?

This recipe utilizes oil to provides an unmatched moisture level. The oil used can be any vegetable oil, however, I am quite partial to Walnut Oil! Walnut Oil is exceptionally flavorful, giving off the aroma and taste of walnuts, which pairs beautifully with the warm spices of this cake. If you do not have walnut oil, regular canola oil is fine!

Making the Gingerbread Loaf Cake

1.Beat eggs and sugar: Add the eggs, vanilla, molasses, and brown sugar to your stand mixer, then beat the three together for about 3-4 minutes. By the end, it should be fluffy, and be tripled in volume.

2. Add oil: Turn the stand mixer down to medium speed, then slowly drizzle the oil into the stand mixer while it continues to beat. After all the oil has been added, beat the mixture for another 30 seconds.

3. Whisk together the dry ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, and salt, then whisk them together to combine.

4. Alternate add the dry & wet to stand mixer: First add the 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then beat until just combined. Add ½ of the sour cream,  and beat until just combined. Continue adding the wet & dry in this order, until all of the ingredients have been added (you’ll finish with the dry).

5. Add to pan & bake: Pour the Gingerbread Loaf Cake batter into a prepared 9×5” loaf pan, then place into the oven to bake! When done, allow the Gingerbread Loaf Cake to cool completely before glazing!

Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 stars (1 review)

Full of Christmas flavor, this Gingerbread Loaf Cake is perfectly spiced and topped with a tangy, sweet Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 loaf

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Ingredients

 

½1x2x

Gingerbread Loaf Cake

• 2 ½ cups (300g) All Purpose Flour,, measured correctly †
• 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ¾ tsp Table Salt
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp All Spice
• 1 ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1½ tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 tbsp Molasses
• 3/4 cup Vegetable Oil,, such as canola or walnut
• 1 cup Sour Cream

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup Cream Cheese,, at room temperature
• 1 cups Confectioners Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Optional 2 tbsp Crushed Pecans, for topping

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Instructions

 

Gingerbread Loaf Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare a 9×5” loaf pan with cooking spray and parchment. In a medium to large sized mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and allspice, then whisk together to combine.
• In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add eggs, sugar, vanilla, and molasses. Beat on high for around 5 minutes, the mixture should look thick, fluffy, and be tripled in volume. Then, slowly drizzle in the oil. After all the oil has been added, beat for an additional minute.
• On low, add the dry mixture to the stand mixer in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in between. Beat only until the batter becomes smooth. Add the batter to the loaf pan, then bake in the oven for around 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow loaf cake to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Add cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
• Spread frosting over the top of the loaf cake, then sprinkle with pecans.

Notes

† to measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level off with a straight edge. Do not pack the flour into the cup, or scoop with the measuring cup straight from the bag/container. Alternatively, weigh the flour (1 cup = 120g or 4oz)

Cuisine: American

Course: Baking

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