Ingredients You Need
To make your the copycat Starbucks gingerbread loaf you’ll need a handful of pantry staples you’ve probably got and a few things you may need to grab from the grocery store. Make sure you don’t skip any of the ingredients (except perhaps the pecans) because they all are super important for the best flavor.
Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature.
Sugar: Regular, granulated sugar.
Vanilla Extract: For the loaf and the icing. Pure tastes much better than imitation if you’ve got it.
Flour: All-purpose.
Baking Soda: So the loaf will rise.
Egg: Just one.
Applesauce: This is the secret weapon to a moist loaf.
Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Chopped Pecans: Totally optional if pecans aren’t your thing.
Cream Cheese: The base of the frosting.
Powdered Sugar: To sweeten the frosting.
How to make a Gingerbread Loaf just like Starbucks
1. Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Make batter. Start by mixing the butter and sugar together. Continue by mixing in the egg and vanilla, slowly. Next, add in the applesauce. Separately, stir together the dry ingredients and then add them to the butter mixture.
3. Bake. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 55 minutes. Let it cool while you make the icing.
4. Make frosting. Beat the cream cheese with vanilla until it’s creamy. Start adding in powdered sugar a little at a time until complete and the frosting is ready. Frost the cooled loaf and enjoy.
Tip! Use the Right Pan
If you don’t happen to have a 9 x 5 loaf pan, you can get a disposable, aluminum pan. They are super cheap and you can grab a bunch and make more than one Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf to give as gifts.
If you don’t have the loaf pan and don’t have time to pick up some disposable ones, you can get away with using a different size in a pinch. Just remember, if the baking pan you use is shallower than the loaf pan, you’ll need to reduce the baking time a bit. Try knocking off about 10-15 minutes or so, but definitely check it frequently to be sure it’s not too hard or too soft.
