Gingerbread With Lemon Glaze

Nothing could be easier, quicker, and more satisfying than this flavor-packed gingerbread.

My grandma used to make it on Sundays when I was a kid, and I remember stuffing my face with slice after slice. 

The whole thing comes together in no time, and pretty much all you’re doing is some stirring and whisking and then adding the wet ingredients to the dry. In two bowls, that’s it. 

The result is a very moist, airy cake with that pleasant gingerbready taste thanks to dried ginger, cinnamon, ground cardamom, and cloves. 

Grandma used plum jam in her gingerbread because there were seven plum trees in her orchard and she had full shelves of plum jam in her cellar.

Feel free to substitute with, for example, strawberry, blackberry, or apricot jam — it totally works. 

You can skip the lemony glaze that goes on top, and just sprinkle powdered sugar on top instead, but why would you? It really completes the picture and takes the gingerbread to another level.

Here are more delicious recipes from my Czech grandma:

Czech Potato Soup
Fluffy Bohemian Pancakes

Now you.

Do you love gingerbread? Glaze or no glaze?

Tell me in the comments.

Gingerbread With Lemon Glaze

• Author: Michal Martinek
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 people 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Czech

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Description

A very moist, airy, satisfying flavor-packed gingerbread recipe.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• Butter, vegetable oil, or oil spray for greasing the baking pan
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup plum jam, or your favorite fruit jam
• 2 cups whole milk

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Chocolate sprinkles (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13” or 10×14” baking pan with the butter, vegetable oil, or spray with the oil spray. Set aside.
3. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves in a medium bowl and mix to combine.
4. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Stir in the jam and the milk, and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester (or a wooden stick or knife) inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
8. Prepare the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, add the lemon juice, and whisk until smooth and glossy, about 5 – 8 minutes. Alternately, you can prepare the glaze with an electric mixer.
9. Pour the glaze over the gingerbread and using a spatula, spread evenly all over the surface. Sprinkle with the chocolate sprinkles if using. Let it set on a countertop for an hour, then cut into slices.

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Notes

• The gingerbread will last, covered and stored in a cool place, for up to 4 days.
• You can store an unglazed gingerbread in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.
• You may omit the glaze and just sprinkle the gingerbread with powdered sugar.