Gingerbread loaf cake

Gingerbread loaf cake - a gluten and dairy free recipe made using whole food ingredients and a hidden vegetable. It's quick, easy and delicious.

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• FAQs
• Recipe

I'm not entirely sure where gingerbread loaf cake came from. Let's be honest, I'd say I was graving something gingery. Or, I was sick of banana bread and wanted something else that the kids would eat with some hidden goodness in it.

I do remember that I'd made a whole heap of pumpkin puree ready for my younger sons purees when it struck me that I could maybe use it in the same way I use banana in banana bread. Baby purees are not just for baby food!

You see the sweetness in cakes, it doesn't have to come from processed sugar. There is so much sweetness already in nature (not that sugar isn't natural in its pure form but you know what I mean!) - bananas, pumpkin, dried fruit - so many things.

This cake does use a little honey (you could use maple syrup instead) for a little sweetness boost but feel free to try without it.

It's made from whole food ingredients and all you have to do is throw everything together, give it a mix or a blitz in the food processor and bake.

I personally like it with a spread of butter (ooh vanilla butter would be delicious) but it's just as good on its own served warm from the toaster or at room temperature.

Ingredients

To make gingerbread loaf cake you will need:

• Mashed steamed pumpkin or pumpkin puree
• Honey
• Coconut flour
• Melted butter (or use coconut oil for dairy-free)
• Eggs
• Bicarb soda
• Apple cider vinegar
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Ground cloves
• Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced and grease and line a loaf tin with paper so it extends over the long sides.
2. Use a Thermomix, food processor, mixer or good old spoon to combine all the ingredients.
3. Transfer the batter into the tin and smooth out the top.
4. Bake for 75 mins or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Leave to rest in the tin for 10 mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Serve sliced at room temperature or toast slices and serve spread with butter.

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FAQs

How do you store gingerbread loaf cake?

I usually store my loaf cakes in an air-tight container and they last a few days. Gingerbread loaf cake is quite moist though so I recommend slicing and freezing it if you’re not going to consume it within two days.

What is the best type of loaf pan to use for gingerbread loaf?

My favourite type of loaf pan to use is a glass one. I find the best baking results and it’s easiest to get out of the tin.

Next up I would recommend just a regular tin which gives really good baking results and holds its shape.

Personally I don’t love silicone baking moulds for loaf cakes as they tend not to hold their shape and end up quite fat in the middle. You would need to put it inside another solid tin to hold its shape which just seems like too much effort for me.

How do you get the cake out of the tin without it breaking?

To get the cake out of the tin, pop it on a heat-proof surface and then place an upside down cooling rack over the top.

Using oven mitts or a tea towel to hold it, carefully pick up the tin connected with the cooling rack and flip it over and put the cooling rack down on the bench.

The tin should lift off. You can carefully flip over your cake or place another cooling rack on top like before and flip it again so it is is the right way up.

If your cake doesn’t come out easily then turn it the right way up again and run a knife around it and try again.

Do you need to line the tin?

I always recommend lining cake tins with baking (parchment) paper. For a loaf tin, I first grease it with butter then lay a strip of baking paper across the tin so that it extends over the long sides. The ends don’t have any paper covering them.

Do you need to refrigerate gingerbread loaf cake?

If you live somewhere hot or humid then once the cake is cool, I’d recommend refrigerating it within 24 hours.

Can you freeze gingerbread loaf cake?

You can freeze gluten free gingerbread loaf cake. To freeze, slice it up (once cool) and place in a freezer-safe container with a little sheet of baking paper between the slices to stop them sticking.

What can I use if I don’t have a loaf tin?

If you don’t have a loaf tin, this recipe can also be made in a 20cm (9”) round tin or as cupcakes. A round cake should take the same time as the loaf. Cupcakes will take about 30-45 minutes.

I once used this recipe to make a two-layer cake for my son's Birthday. I used two 20cm round tins and divided the batter between them.

Recipe