Description
This gingerbread loaf is sweet and tender with delicious holiday flavor. Make it as a (copycat) Starbucks gingerbread loaf with or without vanilla-orange frosting, or as a vegan loaf crowned with sparkling sugar.
Ingredients
Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sweetened applesauce (or mashed ripe banana)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt or sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2/3 cup milk (whole or 2% low-fat)
- Garnish: Vanilla-orange frosting (below)
Starbucks Vanilla-Orange Frosting
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (finely-grated) orange zest
- Orange food coloring, if desired
For a Vegan Gingerbread Loaf (recipe variation)
- 2 tablespoons milled flaxseed (ground flaxseed/flaxseed meal)
- 1/3 cup warm water (100°F)
- 1/2 cup sweetened applesauce, or ripe bananas (smashed)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt or sea salt)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- Garnish: Coarse white sparkling sugar
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9 x 5 (1.25 pound) metal loaf pan with non-stick baking spray. Line the pan with a slightly oversized piece of parchment paper (to create “handles” for lifting the bread from the pan). Lightly grease the parchment paper with baking spray.
Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs well. Add sweetened applesauce, molasses, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Add light brown sugar. Mix to incorporate.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger nutmeg, and cloves.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix slowly. Add milk and stir slowly to combine. Add remaining dry ingredients. Mix until JUST combined. Do not over-mix!
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. (In humid environments, the loaf may need to bake an additional 10 minutes.) Let it cool in the pan 10 minutes. Use parchment paper sling to lift the gingerbread loaf from the pan. Transfer it to a metal cooling rack. Let it cool completely (about 1 hour) before frosting.
Starbucks Vanilla-Orange Frosting
- Add softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer). Beat until it’s light, fluffy, and smooth.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar, orange juice, orange extract, and vanilla extract. Raise speed to medium. As needed, scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- If desired, add 2 short drops of orange food coloring. Beat on low for 10 seconds.
- Raise the speed. Beat until mixture is smooth and creamy, and reaches frosting consistency.
For a Vegan Gingerbread Loaf (recipe variation)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flax seeds and warm water. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes, or until mixture has developed a gel-like consistency. This is how to make a “flax egg replacer.”
- Once the flax mixture is ready, add in applesauce (or smashed bananas), molasses, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine. Add in the light brown sugar. Mix until fully incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix slowly. Add almond milk, followed by the last half of the dry ingredients. Mix until JUST combined. Do not over-mix!
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan 10 minutes. Use parchment paper sling to lift gingerbread loaf from pan. Cool on a wire rack until barely warm.
Notes
About salt: The conversion between table salt (or sea salt) and kosher salt can vary slightly due to differences in crystal size. As a general rule, you can use 1.5 to 2 times the amount of kosher salt in place of table salt or sea salt. Keep in mind, kosher salt has larger flakes, so it’s less dense than table salt or sea salt.
How to make this recipe gluten free: Replace regular all-purpose flour with Bob’s Redmill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour 1:1, plus 2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum. Additionally, always check every ingredient to make double sure there is no gluten present in any of them.
Best substitute for white (coarse) sparkling sugar: Turbinado sugar.
Tips for slicing the loaf: Cool the loaf completely so it won’t easily tear during slicing. Then, for the cleanest slicing, use a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion. Making the very first slice in the middle of the loaf.
How to store your gingerbread loaf: Cool the loaf completely. Wrap the entire loaf in plastic wrap, or individually wrap slices in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place the wrapped slices in a zip-top freezer bag or an air-tight container with snap-on lid. Store in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 40 Minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American