Chocolate gingerbread loaf cake

About a year ago, I stumbled upon this recipe for chocolate gingerbread that I quickly added to my 'to-bake' list for the holidays.  Some recipes/ideas stick with you and you remember them even if you don't jump into the kitchen right away to make it happen.

This loaf cake appealed to me so much because it reminds me of these chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies, which I make every December and might just be my favorite holiday cookie.  They are a must-try even for those who aren't normally huge fans of bold spices.  At Christmastime, I can't seem to get enough of holiday spices and the combination with chocolate makes it all the more familiar and delicious.

So as we've already devoured most of our annual batch of gingerbread chocolate cookies (with a few stashed away in the freezer for Christmas day, along with other cookies I "collect" throughout the month), it was time to make the loaf version.

To more closely mirror those cookies I love dearly, I added freshly grated ginger to this chocolate gingerbread loaf (instead of using crystallized ginger chips).  I wanted maximum ginger flavor and I personally love how fresh ginger melds into everything throughout.  I added a pinch of cloves to round out the usual medley of spices and to try something new, I substituted some of the all-purpose flour with spelt.  You certainly don't need to do that but in my (albeit, limited) experience baking with spelt, the mildness of the flour is relatively similar to all-purpose flour and I think the hearty flavors of this loaf stand up well with it.  I substituted just about a quarter of the regular flour with spelt and bottom-line, you can't tell any difference.

Feeling confident, I doubled the recipe and made one regular-size loaf for my family plus 2 smaller loaves for gifting.  Luckily, my confidence paid off.  The loaves turned out as flavorful and moist as I expected.  I love the classic flavors of gingerbread interspersed with the studs of dark chocolate, all wrapped up in a soft, moist, cake-like package.  It is most definitely very similar to those cookies we adore (this loaf being a little less sweet and a bit less rich if you want to compare) and now we can further enjoy those flavors in a different way.

I have a strong feeling I'll be making this one again next Christmas and others to come.


For this chocolate gingerbread, you could use loaf pans or bake the batter in an 8-inch round or square cake pan, depending on the type of presentation you're after.  This is the kind of baked good that stands somewhere between bread and cake so I settled by calling it a "loaf cake". 

I doubled the recipe to make a single loaf and two smaller ones.  I would mention that this recipe does not make a lot of batter so if you're using a regular loaf pan, go with a slimmer, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (as opposed to a 9x5 inch) so that you have a slightly taller result.  When I'm making mini loaves, I normally like to use the aluminum kind that's roughly 6 inches by 3 inches because I like that size.  But for holiday gifting, I decided to use these longer paper pans.

I just wanted to show the before and after so you get a sense of how much batter you have in the pan before baking and how they rise after.

What you end up with is a moist and tender gingerbread, thanks not only to molasses, but also buttermilk, in this recipe.  It's definitely more on the side of moist and almost-fragile as opposed to dense and hearty. All the zesty gingerbread spices come through (but it's not overpowering; even kids like it in my experience) and the studs of dark chocolate just make the whole thing utterly addictive for the holidays.  I never would have considered myself a gingerbread fans years ago.  Now, I can't seem to get enough - particularly around Christmas and especially when it involves chocolate!


Recipe:

Chocolate Gingerbread Loaf Cake
Adapted from Lara Ferroni (and also inspired by Martha Stewart's chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies) 

- For one 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf (you could also bake it in an 8-inch cake pan or two smaller loaf pans; the recipe also doubles well) -

135 grams (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour (I substituted 1/4 cup with spelt flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup molasses
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with baking spray.

In a bowl, sift together (or whisk thoroughly) the flour, baking soda, cocoa, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

Place butter and freshly grated ginger into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-low speed for about a minute to incorporate. Add brown sugar and cream together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, scraping the bowl as necessary.  Mix the buttermilk and molasses together in a measuring cup and add all at once to the mixture.  Mix until combined.  The mixture will look curdled at this point but will come together after the dry ingredients are added.  Add the flour and spice mixture and beat together until just combined into a smooth batter.  Lightly fold in the chocolate using a rubber spatula.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before turning out and setting on the rack to cool completely.