Fruit Ginger Bread

This gingerbread leans more toward a dense, spiced tea cake than a traditional yeast bread. Molasses and brown sugar give it a deep, dark sweetness while cinnamon and ground ginger bring the warm spice. Golden raisins (sultanas) and chopped almonds scattered throughout add chew and crunch in every slice.

Buttermilk and baking soda handle the lift here instead of yeast, which is unusual for a bread machine recipe. The machine’s mixing cycle combines the batter evenly, and the bake cycle does the rest. No rising time needed.

The margarine makes this rich without being heavy. It melts into the batter during mixing and creates that characteristic sticky, moist crumb that good gingerbread is known for.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the quick bread or cake cycle on your bread machine if it has one. This batter doesn’t need a kneading or rising phase.
• Don’t open the lid during baking. Gingerbread is more delicate than yeast bread and can sink in the center if it loses heat.
• Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. It’s fragile when warm and firms up as it cools.
• This keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. The spice flavor actually deepens overnight.

Variations

• Add chopped crystallized ginger at the mix-in stage for an extra ginger hit with chewy, spicy pieces throughout.
• Swap golden raisins for dried cranberries for a tart contrast against the molasses sweetness.
• Drizzle a simple lemon glaze over the cooled loaf for a bright, citrusy finish.