Dessert

GINGERBREAD LOAF

Ultra moist, perfectly spiced holiday gingerbread loaf with rich cream cheese frosting! 

Soooo I’ve been a little MIA this week – whoops! Thanksgiving festivities and baby blessing preparation madness took over about one hundred and three percent of my brain the past few days. Plus: turkey coma. Am I right??

Just like that Thanksgiving came and went and now it’s Christmastown. I luuuuuv me some Christmas everything. Now that turkey day is over, I’m on board with the lights and the tunes and the SMELLS of Christmas. I basically want my house to smell of cinnamon and gingerbread from now until January one.
And if it lingers a little while longer, I wouldn’t be upset about that.
Ultra moist, perfectly spiced holiday gingerbread loaf with rich cream cheese frosting!
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

frosting
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 4-6 tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 inch bread pan with nonstick foil and spray with nonstick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, and applesauce.
  3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until blended. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
  4. For the frosting, in a medium bowl cream together butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cooled gingerbread loaf. Allow to set up for 1 hour (or if you can't wait you can serve it immediately, but I like it best when the frosting has a chance to set up a bit!). Store in airtight container.