Gingerbread Loaf

• FOR THE LOAF:
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cloves
• 2-1/4 teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Grated Orange Zest
• 3/4 teaspoons Salt
• 1/2 cups Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 whole Egg, Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup Natural Applesauce
• FOR THE FROSTING:
• 1 package (8 Oz. Size) Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 teaspoons Orange Zest (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2-1/2 cups Confectioners Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Chopped Candied Orange Peel Or Crystallized Ginger For Garnish

1. For the loaf:
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9"x5" bread pan. You can also divide and conquer by using 3 smaller loaf pans/bakeware.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, orange zest and salt. Set aside.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla extract. Mix in egg.
5. In a small bowl or cup, combine baking soda into the applesauce. Stir into the creamed butter mixture.
6. Add the flour mixture into the creamed mixture and beat until smooth. Spread the batter into prepared loaf pan(s).
7. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean (for a standard size pan), rotating pan halfway during baking. If baking smaller loaves, check at 30-35 minutes. When done remove pan(s) from oven and set on a cooling rack.
8. For the frosting:
9. In a medium sized bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add zest and vanilla. Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar and continue mixing on medium speed, until light and fluffy
10. Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting over the top of the loaf/loaves (you might have some extra frosting-I'll leave you to decide the fate of that).
11. Sprinkle frosting with pieces of chopped candied orange peel or ginger.
12. Frosting sets well once chilled. Cover the loaf in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (you are lucky if you get it past day one).
13. Recipe adapted from A Cup Of Mascarpone.

allpurpose, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, salt, butter, sugar, vanilla, egg, baking soda, natural applesauce, frosting, cream cheese, orange zest, vanilla, confectioners sugar, ginger

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/gingerbread-loaf/ (may not work)