Gingerbread Loaf With Cream Cheese Frosting

Slices of gingerbread loaf with icing on a plate.

4.67 from 3 votes

Gingerbread Loaf With Cream Cheese Frosting

A fragrant gingerbread cake topped with lashings of deliciously rich cream cheese frosting is an easy holiday dessert and a very transportable sweet treat for fall and winter picnics and parties.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Picnic Food

Cuisine: Desserts

Servings: Loaf (12 servings)

Calories: 4091kcal

Author: Kate O'Malley

Ingredients

Gingerbread Loaf

½ cup unsalted butter softened, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup apple sauce
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda

Gingerbread Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese full fat (softened)
¼ cup unsalted butter softened, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups icing sugar powdered confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Gingerbread Loaf Directions

Preheat oven to bake at 350 F.
Grease a 9"x15" bread loaf pan with oil spray or butter and dust with flour.
Blend the softened butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, and apple sauce and mix until well combined.
Gradually sift in the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda) in gradual intervals beating at low speed to combine after each addition. Once you have added all the dry ingredients and they are starting to come together, mix on high for 2-3 more minutes, scraping the side of the bowl with a baking spatula as you mix.
Pour gingerbread batter into the prepared bread loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer the baked loaf immediately to a cooling rack and let cool completely for at least one hour before topping with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting Directions

While the gingerbread loaf is baking in the oven, begin preparing your frosting. Whip the softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla with a hand or stand mixer on a medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Gradually add in the icing sugar, starting at low speed moving up to high speed once all the ingredients come together. Whip on high speed until the icing becomes light and airy (approximately 3 minutes). Cover bowl with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator until gingerbread cake is finished baking and cooled.
When loaf is completely cool, spread the cream cheese icing evenly on your loaf. Cut into slices using a serrated knife.

Notes

Cream Cheese Frosting

Whole-fat cream cheese is necessary for the best cream cheese frosting. Using a lighter version will still work; however, the icing may become a little too light in texture.

Tips for Softening Butter

To soften the butter, leave it on the counter overnight or for at least 2-3 hours before you want to bake the gingerbread loaf. If you are in a pinch and forgot to get the butter out, stick it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until softened. Just make sure you don’t accidentally melt it.

If you don’t have butter, you can use margarine. However, using margarine can give the cake a slightly different texture and will lack the richness butter gives.

Storing

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing The Gingerbread Loaf

You can store the loaf in the freezer for up to 4 months in an airtight container. If you wish to pre-slice it, use parchment paper to separate pieces so they don’t stick together.

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