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Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Soft Gingerbread Loaf

[cap id="attachment_1614" align="aligncenter" width="225"]... and enjoying the moment![/cap]

If you say "gingerbread" to me, you have got my attention! I love gingerbread, the spicier the better ... but I know that is not for everyone, and some would prefer a milder flavour than one that hits you between the eyes. And this recipe is for those people.

It is inspired by a post I saw on Call Me Cupcake ... it is a truly beautiful looking cake, but when I made it I found the amount of icing so rich, that it took away any flavour of the cake. Like all of us, I ended up playing with the recipe to get the flavour and texture that I like ... and this is the end result.

This makes a beautiful loaf, simply dressed with a little icing sugar if you like, or left plain.

It keeps well at room temperature for a few days so can be made in advance ... but if you do that you might possibly eat it all before your guests arrive which can be an issue ... but then you will have to make another one! It is so quick to do, I am sure you won't mind ...
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 1 large loaf
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 60 g crystallised ginger

  • 200 g light olive oil
  • 200 g sour cream
  • 160 g buttermilk or mix a little vinegar in with milk and stand for 5 minutes
  • 3 x 59g eggs
  • 150 g light muscovado sugar or brown sugar
  • 75 g golden syrup
  • 75 g molasses

  • 400 g plain spelt flour or plain flour
  • 2 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1 tsp sea salt flakes of 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3 tsp ground ginger or add another teaspoon ... making it 1 tbls ... if you like a stronger flavour
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp ground allspice

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, fan forced
  2. Line large loaf tin (25cm x 9.5cm) with baking paper
  3. Place ginger into TM bowl and chop 3 seconds / speed 5
  4. Scrape down sides of bowl and add oil, sour cream, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, golden syrup and molasses and mix 4 seconds / speed 4 … get your spatula right to the bottom of the bowl and ensure that all the ginger has been dislodged from the base and the sides, and remix for another 4 seconds / speed 4
  5. Add flour, bicarb soda, salt and spices and mix 20 seconds / knead (interval)
  6. Stir around top of mix and into the bowl to ensure that all the flour is being brought from the bottom to the top, and repeat 20 seconds / knead (interval)
  7. Scrape around batter again, then pour into the loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until a cake skewer comes out clean (it took 60 minutes in my oven, but I tested it at 50 minutes)
  8. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a cake rack to cool completely
  9. Serve dusted with icing sugar … or with a simple lemon juice and icing sugar glaze
  10. Keeps well for a few days