Soft gingerbread loaf filled with warm spices and topped with a velvety cream cheese icing. This is a favorite seasonal loaf for everyone.
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Why it Works
This soft, fluffy loaf tastes exactly like you are biting into a gingerbread cookie. It is packed with spice and smells amazing being baked.
The loaf itself doesn’t taste very sweet, which is perfect for anyone who does not like their desserts too sweet. The addition of the cream cheese icing adds more sweetness for those who like it. The icing also adds a nice creamy tang that is a lovely contrast to the bold spice of the loaf.
The best part about this loaf is that we use Truvia® Sweet Complete® All-Purpose Granulated Sweetener to bake it. This recipe uses none of the traditional sugar, making it a great option for diabetics or for anyone monitoring their sugar intake.
What makes Truvia® Sweet Complete® products different is that it is a cup for cup replacement for granulated sugar which means no math is involved and you do not need to compensate for the lessened volume in your baked goods.
Ingredients Needed
Let’s go over some of the key ingredients for this gingerbread loaf. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
- Spices - We use a blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to make a warm and inviting loaf. I recommend using ground versions of each, especially with the ginger as grating fresh ginger can leave you with an overbearing ginger flavor. If you want to add more dimension to the ginger flavor, I recommend folding in chopped crystallized ginger instead. About 1 - 2 tablespoons should be enough.
- Sweetener - To sweeten the loaf and the icing, we use Truvia® Sweet Complete®. This means there are no added calories from sugar and we can use a 1:1 replacement of sugar within the recipe. This is especially important in baking loaves and making icing. It has just the right amount of sweetness, too.
- Apple sauce - I like to add the applesauce to add a little dimension to the flavor as well as add moisture to the loaf. The Truvia® Sweet Complete® All-Purpose Granulated Sweetener works best with just a tiny bit more moisture added to your baked goods. You should only use unsweetened apple sauce.
- Molasses - The molasses is integral to a delicious traditional gingerbread loaf. For the best results, you should use light molasses.
How to Make
- Mix the flour with spices, leavening, and salt. Stir until well-combined, then set aside.
- Mix together the butter, egg, applesauce, Truvia® Sweet Complete® All-Purpose Granulated and Brown Sweeteners, and molasses together in another bowl, set aside.
- Bring back the flour bowl and stir in the wet ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, then bake for about 50 - 60 minutes at 350F.
- Allow the loaf to cool. Stir together the ingredients for the icing, then pour over the loaf.
As you can see, the steps are super simple, which means it does not take much until you are ready to enjoy the loaf!
Storage Tips
Store - You should store the loaf in an airtight container. I recommend wrapping the loaf in plastic wrap and keeping it in a container so it does not dry out. Your loaf should last for about 5 days at room temperature.
Freezing - To freeze the loaf, you should wrap the loaf well then place in an airtight container. The loaf should last for about one month this way.
Reheat - You should first thaw your loaf in the refrigerator overnight. Bring the loaf to room temperature. If the loaf is not glazed, you can place it in the microwave on a microwave-safe dish for a minute or in the oven at 300F for 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
There are two main reasons for this: the oven door has been opened before the loaf has set (do not open for the first 45 minutes) or the cake didn't go in the oven as soon as the batter was mixed.
This recipe was created specifically for using Truvia® Sweet Complete® Brown Sweetener. If you want to use another sweetener - even another line of products from Truvia®, the amount of sweetener will be different and the end result will be different.
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Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup Truvia Sweet Complete® All-Purpose Granulated Sweetener
- ¼ cup Truvia Sweet Complete® Brown Sweetener
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅔ cup fancy molasses unsulfured light
- ½ cup apple sauce
Icing
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup Truvia Sweet Complete® Confectioners Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 - 1 ½ tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F, then grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk together the butter, the egg, applesauce, Truvia® Sweet Complete® All-Purpose Granulated and Brown Sweeteners, and molasses.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined and pour into the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a tester comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too much, top loosely with a piece of foil.
- Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
- Make the glaze while the loaf cools. Whisk the ingredients for the glaze together until smooth, then pour on top.
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