Gingerbread Loaf

Starbucks copy cat Gingerbread Loaf

 recipe adapted from "A cup of Mascarpone."

I am so glad I stumbled across this blog today  "A cup of Mascarpone,"  All of her food looks so delicious and the presentation is great.  I wanted a slice of her Gingerbread Loaf as soon as I saw it, so I check my cupboards for the ingredients and had everything but the orange extract.

  I just used orange juice and zest and it was fine. 

 This really does taste like Starbucks Gingerbread loaf.    

Ingredients:

for the loaf:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon orange fresh squeezed orange juice 

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 egg at room temperature

1 cup natural applesauce

1 teaspoon baking soda

for the frosting:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Optional chopped candied ginger or candied orange peel for garnish

Create the Gingerbread Loaf and Frosting:

create the loaf:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9"x5" bread pan (not mini bread pans). 

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, stir in orange juice and zest, add egg and mix well.  Add baking soda, applesauce and flour and beat until smooth.

Scoop the batter into prepared loaf pan(s).

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. If baking the 2 smaller loaves, bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

create the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add orange juice and zest. Slowly beat in confectioner's sugar.

Once the cake has cooled, evenly spread the frosting on top. Garnish with chopped candied ginger or orange peel, if desired.

Adapted with slight changes from The Restaurant Recipe Blog.

Zucchini Bread

Grandma's Best Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup oil (veg or canola)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 - 8oz can well drained crushed pineapple
3 cups flour (unsifted)
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese (soft)
8 oz. butter (soft)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 vanilla
Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy add vanilla and powdered sugar. If the frosting isn't as thick as you like it add another 1/2 cup. 
Preheat oven to 350.  Beat egss to blend, add oil, sugar, vanilla, continue beating mixture until foamy.  With a spoon stir in zucchini and pineapple.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts.  Stir gently until zucchini blended.   Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick insert in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes, turn out on wire racks to cool Makes 2 loaves  After trying the muffins, I wouldn't
make them again.  The loaves are better, the texture is a little different.

Katie's Best Banana Nut Bread and Orange Poppy Seed Bread

The Best Banana Nut Bread and Orange Poppy Seed Bread 

    Recipe from All Recipe ~ Christina Jun

I wish I could take credit for these delicous loaves of bread, but I can't.  My friend Katie "The Motivator,"  made them for me and I loved them so much that I got the recipe to share with you guys.

Orange Poppy Seed Bread

 Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons butter flavored extract

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

3eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

2 1/4 cups white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1/4 cuporange juice

1/2 teaspoon butter flavored extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Original recipe makes 2 -9 inch loaves

                                                                                                        

Best Ever Banana Bread                                                    

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease bottoms of two 9-inch loaf pans.
2. Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds, butter flavoring, oil, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and almond flavoring. Pour into prepared pans.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for one hour. Cool 5 minutes. Poke holes in top of loaves and pour glaze over.
4. To make glaze: Mix orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring, 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough confectioners' sugar to make glaze.

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract          
•       1 cup chopped walnuts                                                      
•       Recipe from Taste of Home
• ****optional 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in nuts.
• Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf.