starbucks gingerbread loaf dupe, donut-style

You know that gingerbread loaf that Starbucks brings out every holiday season?  Oh, it so good!  I love it. But they only have it once a year.  In previous years this was a sad thing, but this year I found a dupe recipe, oh yeah!

If you're wondering, the dupe recipe did call for a loaf, but I wanted to try my new donut baking sheet, so I made 6 donuts with the dough, and there was enough for 8 mini-cupcakes too.

read to be baked up

all baked up!

icing on top

the extra mini cupcakes. bonus!

Here's the recipe!

Gingerbread Loaf, Donut-Style
adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine

Ingredients for the gingerbread:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients for the frosting:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Directions for gingerbread:
1. Preheat your oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour a donut pan (9x5"), plus 6-8 mini cupcakes.  Or just use one loaf pan.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt, then set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

4. Mix baking soda into applesauce and stir into creamed butter mixture. Add flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

5. Pour batter into prepared pans.

6. Bake at 350˚F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Directions for frosting:
1. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and orange zest. Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar.

2. Once the cake has cooled, evenly spread the frosting on top. 

Enjoy!