Did you know that historians believe it was the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis (Gregory Makar) who introduced gingerbread to Europe in the 10th century? And I'm sure glad that he did so that the delicious aroma of gingerbread baking could spread to homes around the world over the years.
Bring the smells of Christmas into your home with this moist and tasty Orange Cardamom Gingerbread Loaf. With an orange zest sugar glaze and aromatic spices, each bite packs tons of flavor and will get you into the holiday spirit. A loaf of this gingerbread cake is perfect on Christmas morning or anytime you want a sweet and spicy treat.
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What Ingredients Do I Need to Make An Orange Cardamom Gingerbread Loaf?
- Basic baking ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract.
- Gingerbread spices: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cloves
- Unsulphured dark molasses: A classic, healthy sweetener that adds moisture and flavor.
- Buttermilk: You can also use milk that has been soured with vinegar. Add ½ tablespoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice to a ½ cup of milk. Use a ½ cup of soured milk in this recipe.
- Extra light olive oil: This is a healthy alternative to butter, and imparts a mild flavor that is great for baking.
- For the Glaze: Powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest and evaporated milk. Just one teaspoon of evaporated milk gives a creamier texture to the glaze than regular juice or milk. Freeze the extra evaporated milk (or dilute with 2x the amount of water to make the needed amount of soured milk.)
- More flavorings: Raisins and orange zest added to both the batter and the glaze compliment the gingerbread flavors perfectly.
How Do I Make Orange Cardamom Gingerbread Loaf?
Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Then, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix all of the ingredients together until just moist.
Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into a bread loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Whisk together the ingredients for the orange glaze. Then pour over the cooled loaf.
📖 Recipe
Orange Cardamom Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsulphured or dark molasses
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup light olive oil
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup raisins
- Orange Powdered Sugar Glaze
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon evaporated milk
- 1 - 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Mix together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just barely blended.
- Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into a bread loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the orange glaze. Then pour over the cooled loaf.
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