Cooking Thursday ~ Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting

It was so nice meeting up with an old friend for a coffee and a natter this morning ....its been a while. Whilst we were in Starbucks...I noticed their gingerbread all nicely sliced and delicious looking and I thought....hmmm I know what Im going to bake this afternoon. 

Its not quite your traditional gingerbread...no molasses...and it has apple sauce and sour cream in it...but it was always a winner in the family. You can also top it with some crystallized ginger.... but I didnt have any.

Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting

1¾ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground ginger

½ tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

½ cup apple sauce

½ cup sour cream

Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups icing sugar

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• I like to line my 9x9x2 baking tin with parchment paper but you can just use cooking spray
• In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. 
• Set aside. 
• Cream butter and sugars together. 
• Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
• Add the apple sauce and sour cream. 
• Add the flour mixture slowly mixing well.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40min. or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool for 5 minutes and then remove from pan, cool completely on rack.
• For the frosting, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until soft and light. 
• Add the vanilla and slowly add ½ cup of icing sugar at a time and blend in. 
• Spread the icing on top of the cake and decorate with the candied ginger.

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x