Gingerbread
A spiced baked good flavored with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and molasses, made either as a soft cake or a firm cookie for cutting and decorating.
- Chocolate, sugar and confectionery
Also called: ginger bread
Gingerbread cookies use a stiff dough that holds sharp edges, so they are popular for gingerbread people and houses decorated with royal icing. Gingerbread cake is soft and moist, often made with molasses and hot water or coffee.
Molasses gives gingerbread its dark color, slightly bitter edge and moist texture, and its acidity works with baking soda for lift.
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Tools for this
Ann Clark Christmas Cookie Cutters (11)Gingerbread people, stars and trees for classic holiday cut-outs, made in the USA.See it on Amazon
J.K. Adams French Tapered Rolling PinA long tapered pin that rolls pastry thin and even.See it on Amazon
Piping Bags & Tips SetFill and pipe neatly, no ziplock-bag mess.See it on Amazon
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Related entries
Sources
Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- A Brief History of Gingerbread, Smithsonian Magazine
- Gingerbread: A Treat for the Holidays, Library of Congress
- Functions of Baking Ingredients (NF94-186), University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
- Gingerbread (Q178600), Wikidata