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Step 1 - The most obvious yet most forgotten (by me anyway) step, preheat oven to 350 F. Grab two 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans and line with parchment paper.
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Step 2 - To mix the batter you'll start with the butter and sugar. Mix these in an electric mixer until light and creamy, around 5 minutes. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to get them fully mixed in.
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Step 3 - Grab another bowl and sift together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water and vanilla. With your mixer on a low speed, begin adding the contents of each bowl to the butter mixture, alternating between the two until your mixture is fully blended, but not overly whipped. Then split your batter between the two pans. If your batter is slightly uneven, you can lightly shake the pan to even out the tops.
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Step 4 - My favorite step, and the easiest part of the recipe, make your topping. Just combine the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, ginger and cloves. Then evenly layer the decorating sugar over your batter, followed by the spice mixture.
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Step 5 - Finally, bake for 45-50 minutes.
