Pumpkin Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze

This pumpkin gingerbread is perfect for the holidays! It has a strong, spicy ginger kick that’s balanced out by the sweet lemon glaze on top.

My parents aren’t huge fans of the traditional pumpkin pie, so every year I try to come up with a new alternative pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving. Last week, as I was looking for a dessert to make, I stumbled upon a recipe for pumpkin gingerbread with orange glaze. Combining classic Thanksgiving and Christmas flavors sounded absolutely delicious, so I knew I had to make my own version of the dessert.

I promise you’re in for a real treat with this tender pumpkin gingerbread! Although gingerbread and lemon might sound odd, it tastes just as fantastic as a ginger-lemon tea. I’m a huge fan of the ginger-lemon flavor combo, and it’s perfect for this recipe! The pumpkin flavor in this recipe is also a little bit more subtle than it is strong, so it pairs really well with the spicy-sweet gingerbread.

The flavor of this gingerbread is cozy and delicious, but the best part of this recipe, hands down, is that it uses exactly one can of pumpkin puree! No need to measure the pumpkin puree and dirty another measuring cup. Add the soft, moist texture to that, and you’ve got a holiday favorite on your hands! As soon as I made my first loaf, I added this recipe to my holiday collection. I’ll be making this gingerbread every year for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, along with my glazed orange cranberry scones.

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze

Course: Dessert, Snacks

Yield

2

loaves

Prep Time

15

minutes

Cook Time

55

minutes

Total Time

1

hour 

20

minutes

This pumpkin gingerbread has a spicy-sweet ginger flavor that pairs perfectly with a sweet lemon glaze and a subtle pumpkin flavor.

Ingredients

• Gingerbread

• 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

• 1 and 1/4 cups packed light or dark brown sugar

• 3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• One 15 oz can or 2 cups pumpkin puree

• 1/4 cup fresh grated ginger

• 2 tablespoons molasses*

• Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

• Gingerbread
• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and butter together until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the pumpkin, ginger, and molasses.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix until just combined.
• Spoon the batter into prepared loaf pans, making sure that both pans have an equal amount of batter. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow gingerbread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Glaze
• Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk together to make the glaze. Drizzle over cooled gingerbread.

Notes

• Make Ahead: Gingerbread can be made up to 4 days ahead; cover and store at room temperature.
• Molasses: I prefer to use dark or blackstrap molasses for this recipe, but you can use any type of molasses. Keep in mind that light or mild molasses has a more subtle flavor, and blackstrap molasses is very strong.