Gingerbread #TwelveLoaves

Today is my first post for #TwelveLoaves. And I couldn't be more excited. I get to share my grandmother's recipe for gingerbread. Every year around Christmas, my grandma would bake dozens of cakes and deliver them to all of her friends and my granddad's work colleagues. My mom likes to tell the story of how she and her two siblings would be buckled in the backseat of the car, all bundled up in their winter's best, each with a cake on their lap.

My grandma isn't with us anymore, but I get to carry on the tradition tenfold by sharing her recipe for gingerbread on my blog and adding my own twist on it with a light lemon buttercream icing. It's like a flat icing because it doesn't have to be whipped, but it accent's grandma's gingerbread with fresh lemon juice and freshly grated lemon zest. The gingerbread loaf itself is dark from molasses and spicy from ground AND fresh ginger. The fresh ginger is my addition, too. Every time I post a recipe, I try to do my grandma proud and I think she'd be proud of this one. Especially since it's hers.

I love you, grandma xo

#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and run with the help of Heather of girlichef, which operates smoothly with the help of our bakers. Our host this month is Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake, and our theme is Holiday Breads. For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month’s mouthwatering selection of #TwelveLoaves Pumpkin Breads.

• Apricot Ginger Panettone from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Bacon Fat Spice Loaf from girlichef
• Cranberry Kringle from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Eggnog Streusel Muffins from From My Sweet Heart
• Fruitcake Quick Bread from Rhubarb and Honey
• Gingerbread from Nik Snacks
• Holiday Fruit and Cheese Bread from Basic N Delicious
• Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Kardemummakrans from Ma che ti sei MANGIATO
• Raisin and Nut Wreath Bread from A Baker’s House
• Stollen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Stollen Wreath from Cake Duchess
• Swiss Butter Braid from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Whole Wheat Cranberry and Walnut Bread from NinjaBaker

If you’d like to add your bread to this month's #TwelveLoaves collection, here’s what you need to do:

1. Post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, making sure to mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post (this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone's posts).
2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of this blog. The bread MUST meet the Twelve Loaves theme (enter theme). 
3. Share your Twelve Loaves bread (must be baked and posted this month) on your blog by enter the last day of the month.

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Grandma's Gingerbread

Yield: 2 loaves

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cardamom

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter

1 cup dark molasses 

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 cup very hot water

Lemon icing

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Finely grated lemon zest

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two (8 x 4) loaf pans.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together butter, molasses, sugar, eggs, and fresh ginger with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until smooth, then add hot water and mix until combined.

Pour batter into pans and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool to warm in pan on a rack.

When loaves are completely cool, stir together heavy cream, powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour icing over cooled loaves. Cut and serve or wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator.