Gingerbread Loaf

Gingerbread Loaf

Cook's notes: Gingerbread loaf cake is a quintessential fall dessert that is just delicious. The addition of applesauce makes it a very moist loaf, almost cake like. A maple flavored cream cheese frosting adds just the perfect topping. It can be served as a dessert or as a breakfast item. 

The recipe was labeled as a Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Cake. I made some adaptations to the original recipe but here's a link to the original recipe.
http://thecafesucrefarine.com/2011/12/starbucks-gingerbread-loaf/
Ingredients for Gingerbread Loaf

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons dried ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange extract or 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2½ cups confectioner’s sugar
• Milk
• Optional 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for topping

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚ Grease a loaf pan (9×5″), you could also use two mini loaf pans.
• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt, then set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in orange extract or zest.
• Stir baking soda into applesauce and then stir into creamed butter mixture. Add flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
• For the icing, beat cream cheese, vanilla and maple syrup. Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar. Add milk as needed until right frosting consistency.
• Once the cake has cooled, evenly spread the frosting on top. Sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecan on top.

Remember this Salted Caramel Apple Puff Pastry recently posted?

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/09/weekend-round-up.html

this is a recent remake and showing another option for going a bit more fancy and cutting the apples smaller.  

It's such a easy dessert where the filling can be made ahead and warmed a bit right before serving.