Easy Gingerbread Loaf (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)

It’s that time of year to enjoy holiday treats. If you love Starbucks gingerbread loaf, then this copycat recipe is for you. This gingerbread loaf recipe makes a single loaf full of warm spices and molasses and glazed with a powdered sugar glaze. As far as quick breads go, it’s super simple – you just need a large bowl and a loaf pan.

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The holiday season is prime time to enjoy your favorite Gingerbread treats. It’s possible that a Gingerbread Cake is too large for your gathering, so this old-fashioned gingerbread loaf is a perfect option, great for a smaller crowd or for snacking on over a few days. 

It’s a great cake to pair with this Christmas Bundt Cake – they’re different but both festive.

If you’re a gingerbread fan or already enjoy a Starbucks slice of gingerbread bread each holiday season, this is the best of quick bread recipes. It bakes up quickly and easily, and is so much cheaper than what you’d buy at the coffee shop.

Why Make This

It’s an easy gingerbread recipe. This loaf if full of gingerbread flavor thanks to the molasses and warming spices, but it bakes up quickly without any fuss, an easy recipe to be sure.

It freezes beautifully. It’s possible you only want to eat a slice or two at a time instead of the entire loaf. This is the perfect recipe for freezing. Just slice and wrap each thick slice in plastic wrap and store the slices in a freezer bag. Pull out a slice whenever you like. This is perfect with a cup of coffee or a Gingerbread Latte.

It makes a great gift. This Christmas recipe makes a cute quick loaf to share with friends. Wrap the gingerbread loaf cake in clear cellophane with a gingerbread man tag and you’re all set for an easy gift from the kitchen.

It’s cheaper than Starbucks. If you love seasonal treats from Starbucks, but can’t stomach their higher prices this year, then this is the recipe for you! Be sure to try our Lemon Loaf recipe next.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Gingerbread Loaf recipe:

sugar – You’ll need two kinds of sugar: white sugar for the loaf cake and powdered or confectioners’ sugar for the glaze. You can use dark brown sugar if you like, but you’re already adding molasses, so you don’t need the brown sugar.

neutral oil or softened butter – Either fat will add the richness needed to flavor your gingerbread loaf. 

molasses – This a common ingredient in gingerbread. There are three types of molasses: light, dark, and blackstrap molasses. This recipe was tested with Mother’s Original unsulphured molasses which is closest to light molasses.

eggs – A couple large eggs add richness to this quick bread. You can use a flax egg substitute if you prefer to avoid the eggs.

plain yogurt – I like to use plain Greek yogurt but you can also substitute buttermilk or sour cream if that’s what you have on hand.

zest of lemon – Lemon zest is a great way to incorporate lemon flavor into this quick bread. You can use another type of citrus zest if you prefer, like orange zest or grapefruit. Remember you can freeze lemon juice and zest if you have extra.

flour – I use unbleached, all-purpose flour in all my baking. You can substitute regular all-purpose flour or use whole wheat pastry flour.

leavenings – You’ll need both baking soda and salt for this homemade gingerbread loaf.

spices – I use ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. In a pinch you could substitute pumpkin pie spice if that’s what you have.

cream – You’ll need just a bit of cream for the powdered sugar glaze. If you want an orange glaze, you can substitute orange juice for the cream.

Christmas sprinkles – These are very optional, but I think they add a little bit of cuteness to this recipe, making it a perfect end to Christmas dinner.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make this easy gingerbread loaf:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, and molasses. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to combine.

Stir in the yogurt and zest.

In a second bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold to combine.

Transfer the gingerbread batter to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a tester inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack.

While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar and cream in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle this over the cake and scatter the Christmas sprinkles. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.

Store the slices of glazed loaf cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for longer storage.

To freeze: You can freeze the whole loaf (glazed or unglazed) or freeze individual slices. Either way cool the gingerbread loaf completely.

Wrap well in plastic wrap and slip into a zippered freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Thaw in the wrapping at room temperature.

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