Four Forms of Gingerbread Loaf
Stem ginger, fresh ginger, ground ginger, and ginger beer—the four pillars of this gingerbread recipe. Gingerbread is the oldest ginger-based food, and I’ve always loved its warming, comforting flavour. It’s a shame it’s become seasonal for some people—it should be enjoyed year-round! I also recommend baking a loaf ahead of Christmas and freezing it to make a pork and gingerbread stuffing for the big day. It. Is. Perfection.
Serves 10-12
Hands-on Time 25 minutes
Baking Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
125g plus extra for greasing unsalted butter
50g stem ginger in syrup
220g plus 1 tsp self-raising flour
100g soft dark brown sugar
100g golden syrup
100g treacle
1 tbsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine salt
2 medium eggs
Thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
85ml ginger beer
Equipment
2lb loaf tin
Baking parchment
Kitchen paper
Scissors
Small bowl
Spoon
Saucepan
Spatula
Method
1. Prepare the Oven and Tin
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Grease the loaf tin with butter and line with baking parchment.
Prepare the stem ginger
Rinse the stem ginger under a tap to remove excess syrup. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Snip the ginger into bite-sized pieces using scissors. Toss in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of flour until evenly coated.
2. Make the Batter
In a saucepan, combine 125g of butter, sugar, golden syrup, and treacle. Heat over medium heat, stirring with a spatula, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. The mixture should resemble a thick, dark syrup.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and 220g of flour. Stir until no specks remain.
Beat in the eggs.
Peel and grate the fresh ginger into the mixture.
Stir in the ginger beer until fully combined.
3. Bake the Loaf
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Tap the tin gently to remove air bubbles.
Scatter the coated stem ginger pieces over the top.
Bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes, turning the tin halfway through for even baking. The loaf is done when a cake tester comes out clean.
4. Cool and Serve
Let the loaf cool in the tin before turning it out onto a wire rack.
Enjoy!
