What's the difference between gingerbread and ginger cake?

Gingerbread, or u003cemu003epain d'épicesu003c/emu003e, is a loaf made with honey and spice. It doesn't contain ginger, and the texture of the bread is somewhat dry. Ginge cake or gingerbread cake is an American invention made with treacle or molasses and spices, including ginger, and its texture is moist.

What is a gingerbread spice?

Gingerbread spice is a mix of different spices used during holiday baking. It contains ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, although some recipes also call for nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.

What's the best flour to make gingerbread?

The traditional gingerbread recipe uses whole wheat flour. However, white flour, buckwheat flour, or dark rye flour are also widely used. To make gingerbread more compact, you should choose ray flour. Since gingerbread is sweet, it is not really recommended to use chestnut flour.

What fruit goes with gingerbread?

Different combinations of dried and candied fruit are beautifully incorporated into gingerbread recipes. Use raisins, prunes, dried apricots, cranberry or cherry, candied oranges, or candied lemons.

Pain d'epices (French Gingerbread Loaf)

Name: Pain d'epices (French Gingerbread Loaf)
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 10
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (280 ml) water; 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (190 g) honey; 1/3 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (110 g) granulated sugar; 0.5 oz (15 g) whole star anise (see note #1); 3 cinnamon sticks; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 2 2/3 cup + 2 1/2 teaspoons (340 g) all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup (37 g) cornstarch; 2 1/2 tablespoons (40 ml) dark rum; 4 teaspoons (20 g) baking powder; 2.6 oz (75 g) dried apricots; 2.6 oz (75 g) prunes; 2.6 oz (75 g) slivered almonds; 1.5 oz (45 g) dried cranberries

Pain d'epices (French Gingerbread Loaf)

French pain d'epices on a wire rack lined with parchment.

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Pain d'epices is a French gingerbread loaf, a no-knead spiced bread full of holiday spices and festive flavors. It is a French classic, perfect for Christmas, and makes a great edible gift.

Author: Irina
Total Time: 2 hours (plus resting time)
Yield: 10 1x
Category: Cakes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale

For the syrup:

1 cup + 3 tablespoons (280 ml) water
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (190 g) honey
1/3 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (110 g) granulated sugar
0.5 oz (15 g) whole star anise (see note #1)
3 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon ground allspice

For the loaf:

2 2/3 cup + 2 1/2 teaspoons (340 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (37 g) cornstarch
2 1/2 tablespoons (40 ml) dark rum
4 teaspoons (20 g) baking powder
2.6 oz (75 g) dried apricots
2.6 oz (75 g) prunes
2.6 oz (75 g) slivered almonds
1.5 oz (45 g) dried cranberries

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Instructions

To make the syrup, pour water, honey, and sugar, add cinnamon sticks, star anise, and ground allspice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while mixing. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it with a plastic film, and let it infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.
The next day, preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). To make the dough, mix flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a bowl.
Drain the syrup with a colander and discard the spices. Add rum to the syrup and mix. Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture and combine it with a hand whisk.
Add whole prunes, dried apricots, cranberries, and slivered almonds to the mix and combine. Pour the preparation into a buttered nonstick loaf pan or a silicone loaf pan, filling up three-quarters.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check the loaf readiness with a toothpick: gingerbread is ready if it comes out dry. Remove the loaf from the bread pan and let it cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

0.5 oz. (15 g) of star anise is approximately equal to 18 whole star anise or 9 teaspoons of ground star anise.
Replace slivered almonds with blanched almonds.
Experiment with dried fruit and make your combinations.
For a gourmet version, switch honey for date syrup or maple syrup.
Adjust the baking time and test the loaf/loaves for readiness with a toothpick if you use small loaf pans.
Make-ahead option: Make the syrup one day ahead and infuse it with warm spices and exquisite flavors. The next day, make the bread dough and bake.
Store the cooled gingerbread loaf in a plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 days. You can refrigerate it for up to a couple of weeks.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 387
Sugar: 37.4 g
Sodium: 5 mg
Fat: 5.2 g
Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
Carbohydrates: 79.3 g
Fiber: 3.2 g
Protein: 6.7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: pain d'epices, French gingerbread

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/spiced-gingerbread-loaf-recipe/