Ingredients Loaf Cake:

8 tablespoons Kerrygold

Unsalted Butter

1/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup warm water

1 large egg, room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped finely (optional)

For the Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

Juice of 1/2 an orange, about 2 tablespoons

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper, set aside. In a small skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk continuously, and then continue to cook the butter on medium heat for another 3-4 minutes until it begins to brown and smells nutty. Pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool slightly.
  3. To a medium mixing bowl, add the warm water and molasses. Whisk well to dissolve the molasses in the water. Add the egg, brown sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, and buttermilk to the bowl. Slowly pour the cooled browned butter into the bowl, whisking while you pour.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Whisk well.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk very well to incorporate, making sure there are no dry patches of flour at the bottom of the bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the chopped crystallized ginger to the batter, whisk in (optional). Reserve the remaining ginger for garnish.
  6. Pour the gingerbread batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing out the top into an even layer. Bake for 50-55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time to ensure that the cake bakes evenly.
  7. Prepare the glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, pinch of kosher salt, and cinnamon. If you prefer the glaze thinner, add more orange juice. For a thicker glaze, add less orange juice.
  8. Remove the cake from the oven, and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 25 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan, and let it cool completely. Pour the glaze on top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Garnish with remaining crystallized ginger, and serve.

Recipe by Lion’s Bread.