Gingerbread Loaf with Ginger Glaze

I've been in a gingerbread kind of mood lately, buying fresh ginger, buying grated ginger, perusing gingerbread recipes and pinning up a gingerbread storm. But, when all is said and done, what did I really want to make? I was tempted to make the lebkuchen of my youth but that may have to wait for a bit since I also had to balance the treat with all the heavy Chanukah foods we've been consuming. A sweet ginger tea bread seemed the most appealing since we could have it in the morning with coffee or as a light afternoon treat with a cup of tea.

Frequently these loaves are dark, filled with molasses, brown sugar and heavy spices. But this version is lighter with a moist, tender crumb. It still contains the spice flavors but doesn't pack as much of a punch. And the ginger and cinnamon glaze? This was the first time I'd made a glaze this way and it was amazingly good. Adding the confectioner's sugar to the warm butter gets rid of any graininess and leaves you with a thick, rich, drippy glaze. Seriously, I want to make a bigger batch and drizzle it on toast! Enjoy!





Ingredients
Bread:
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Eggs
1 Cup buttermilk
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon baking powder
2 Teaspoons ground ginger
2 Teaspoons cinnamon
1 Teaspoon nutmeg

Glaze:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 Cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until completely smooth and the butter is fully incorporated. Beat in the buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all the flour is incorporated.

Butter and flour a loaf pan and pour in the batter. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes before flipping over onto a rack. While the bread is cooling, make the glaze by adding the tablespoon of milk to the two tablespoons of melted butter. Whisk in the confectioner's sugar until it's fully incorporated. When the bread has been removed from the loaf pan, drizzle on the glaze.