Gingerbread Loaf
Servings: 10
Calories: 367kcal
Moist and flavorful gingerbread loaf cake topped with orange cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted Challenge butter 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 egg
- 1 cup natural applesauce no added sugar
Frosting
- 4 oz Challenge cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Challenge butter room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure orange extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) a 9"x 5" loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, add flour, spices, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and blend until fully combined and fluffy. Add orange zest and blend.
- Add fresh orange juice and blend. Add egg and blend. Add apple sauce and blend.
- Add flour mixture while slowly mixing. Stir just until all ingredients are well combined.
- Pour/scoop batter into prepared pan and bake 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter). Cool loaf at least 1 hour before frosting.
- Prepare frosting by beating the cream cheese with an electric mixer until fully smooth. Add butter and blend.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and blend well. Add extracts and zest and blend.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Spread frosting onto cooled cake.
Video
Notes
You may have a bit of frosting left over. Enjoy the frosting spread on a graham cracker or nila wafer type cookie for a little snack.
Nutrition
Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg