Pain d’Épices (French Gingerbread Loaf) Recipe
Pain d’Épices, also known as French gingerbread loaf, is a fragrant and moist spiced cake featuring a blend of warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves combined with dark brown sugar and molasses. This recipe from Bouchon Bakery yields a rich, dense loaf with a deep flavor profile, perfect for dessert or a comforting snack.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves (about 12 slices per loaf) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups plus 2 teaspoons (340 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (8 grams) baking soda
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (7 grams) ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons (4 grams) ground cinnamon
- ⅜ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cloves
- ½ plus ⅛ teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup plus 1 ½ teaspoons (220 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup plus 2 ¼ teaspoons (340 grams) unsulfured blackstrap molasses
- 1 cup (215 grams) canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup plus 2 ½ tablespoons (100 grams) beaten eggs (about 2 large eggs)
- 1 ¼ cup plus 2 ½ tablespoons (336 grams) boiling water
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (5 grams) grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prep pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray two loaf pans with nonstick spray and line them with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the loaves after baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and kosher salt until evenly combined. This ensures the spices and leavening are properly distributed in the batter.
- Blend wet ingredients: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, combine the dark brown sugar, blackstrap molasses, and canola or vegetable oil. Mix until smooth. Gradually add the beaten eggs into the mixture, mixing well after each addition.
- Add dry ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients while mixing on low speed, to prevent flour from flying. Mix until just incorporated to avoid overworking the batter.
- Finish batter: Gradually pour the boiling water into the batter while mixing gently to combine. Fold in the grated lemon zest to add a bright, citrusy aroma that balances the rich spice flavors.
- Pour and bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool and store: Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10-15 minutes before removing and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, wrap the loaves tightly and freeze for up to 1 week if not consuming immediately. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use unsulfured blackstrap molasses for a deep, robust flavor that complements the spices.
- If using table salt instead of kosher salt, reduce the amount slightly to adjust for different saltiness levels.
- This recipe is adapted from the classic Bouchon Bakery Pain d’Épices.
- The grated lemon zest provides a subtle citrus note that brightens the overall flavor.
- Allow the loaf to rest a day if possible to let the flavors meld for an even better taste.
Keywords: Pain d’Épices, French gingerbread loaf, Bouchon Bakery, spiced cake, molasses gingerbread, French dessert, gingerbread loaf
