• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact
    • Services
      • Contact
  • Recipes
    • Recipes Visual Index
    • How to Make Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker
    • Kitchen Cheat Sheet
    • Kitchen & Pantry Essentials
  • Order Cookie School!

A Cookie Named Desire

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Order Cookie School!
  • Recipes
  • Services
×
Home - Cake

Published: Dec 10, 2021 · Modified: Nov 20, 2023 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

Gingerbread Loaf

Jump to Recipe

Soft gingerbread loaf filled with warm spices and topped with a velvety cream cheese icing. This is a favorite seasonal loaf for everyone.

This post is sponsored by Truvia® but all opinions and images are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands I love. You can pick up Truvia® products at Walmart! 

close up of loaf with slices falling from the loaf

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. 

sliced loaf on wire rack at an angle

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

  1. Mix the flour with spices, leavening, and salt. Stir until well-combined, then set aside. 
  2. Mix together the butter, egg, applesauce, Truvia® Sweet Complete® All-Purpose Granulated and Brown Sweeteners, and molasses together in another bowl, set aside. 
  3. Bring back the flour bowl and stir in the wet ingredients. 
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, then bake for about 50 - 60 minutes at 350F. 
  5. 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!

close up of truvia sugar

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

My loaf sank in the middle, what went wrong?

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.

Can I use another sweetener in the recipe?

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. 

slices of loaf bread on plate

If you try this recipe, please tag me on instagram! Be sure to also follow me on Facebook, and sign up to my newsletter so you never miss out on another tasty treat!

Recipe Card

gingerbread loaf sliced on wire rack

Gingerbread Loaf

Amanda Powell
Light, moist, and packed full of flavor. This gingerbread loaf if a winter favorite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
10 minutes mins
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 10 slices
Calories 265 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

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
Get Recipe Ingredients

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. 

Notes

If you want to ensure the loaf never sticks to your pan, line it with parchment paper, leaving some to overhang. 
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 345mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg
Keyword gingerbread, loaf, quick bread
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

More Cake Recipes

  • sliced pound cake on wood board
    Blueberry Pound Cake
  • close up of slice of coffee cake
    Peach Coffee Cake
  • Moist Chocolate Coffee Cake Recipe
  • close up sheet cake slice being taken
    Strawberry Sheet Cake

About Amanda Powell

Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

Reader Interactions

4.50 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hey, I'm Amanda!

I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a cookbook author, food science nerd, world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese.

Read More

Reader Favorites

  • S'mores Stuffed Cookies
    S'mores Cookies Recipe
  • homemade cookies scattered out on baking sheet
    Milano Cookies Recipe
  • cookies piled together on rack
    Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • avocado chocolate peanut butter smoothie in a glass
    Avocado Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
  • Making salt water taffy at home is actually easier than you think
    How to Make Salt Water Taffy
  • finished jelly donut shots on a tray
    Jelly Donut Shot

Summer Favorites

  • lemon bar cookies next to bowl of lemon curd on parchment paper
    Lemon Bar Cookies
  • This passion fruit mojito is the perfect tropical summer drink for parties and weekend BBQs.
    Passion Fruit Mojito
  • Cherry Pie Iced Tea
  • close up of crumble in pan
    Strawberry Crumble

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • About Me

Copyright © 2024 A Cookie Named Desire

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.