Starbuck’s Gingerbread Loaf
This Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting tastes even better at home! Moist, delicious with a thick, creamy frosting!
A HOMEMADE SWEET CAKE WITH CREAM CHESE FROSTING
Apparently I am all about them copycat Starbucks loaf recipes lately. I shared a recipe recently for the Starbuck’s Lemon Loaf and I promised I would share the recipe for their gingerbread loaf. This one took a little longer to get on the blog than I initially had planned on. The truth is, I wasn’t real crazy with my first attempt. It wasn’t as moist as I had wanted. And I made WAY too much frosting for one loaf – not that I’m complaining 😉
A GREAT USE FOR APPLE BUTTER
After realizing it needed something to help make it more tender, I went back to the drawing board. It turns out that it really needed something else. After testing out applesauce and apple butter, it turns out apple butter adds that additional moistness without adding a bunch of oil. You can certainly use applesauce but we all preferred the apple butter version. Side note: if you have fresh nutmeg – use it here. Freshly grated nutmeg has the best flavor but the pre-grated nutmeg will do the job in this.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- egg
- apple butter
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
- ground ginger
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- nutmeg
- chopped walnuts
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE STARBUCK’S GINGERBREAD LOAF:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray (the kind with flour in it – like Baker’s Joy.) Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla and the egg. Blend in the apple butter.
Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.)
When everything is mixed, pour the batter into your loaf pan. Bake for about 55 minutes until it is risen and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely on a rack before frosting. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese with the vanilla and then add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Add a little more sugar if it’s not as thick as you like.
Spread a thick layer of the frosting over the gingerbread cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Then dig in!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: March 2017
Updated & republished: December 2021
Starbuck’s Gingerbread Loaf (+Video)
Ingredients
For the loaf:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
For the frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ – 2 cups powdered sugar
- chopped walnuts, for topping (optional)
Instructions
For the loaf:
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray (the kind with flour in it – like Baker's Joy.)
- Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the egg. Blend in the apple butter.
- Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.) When everything is mixed, pour the batter into your loaf pan.
- Bake for about 55 minutes until it is risen and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely on a rack before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese with the vanilla and then add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Add a little more sugar if it’s not as thick as you like.
- Spread a thick layer of the frosting over the gingerbread cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts (optional). Then slice and serve!
Video
Notes
- If you only have salted butter, just leave out the additional salt in the recipe.
- You can substitute applesauce for the apple butter in the recipe but I think you lose some of the moistness in the bread.
- Oil can be substititued for the butter.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This gingerbread loaf is a wonderful treat. I used apple butter instead of applesauce which I think is the trick that sets this loaf apart from all the others. I made a cinnamon buttercream frosting instead of a cream cheese frosting that paired really well with it. Thanks for sharing your talent of creating great recipes.
Hi Bev! Thank you so much for coming back to comment!! Love hearing that!
The flavor of this was great – I used apple butter as instructed and I tend to use “heaping” measurements of spice in spice cakes and breads because I like them to bite. My only concern is that the finished product is really dense and kind of dry. Like another baker, I came back to double check because my bread mixture was SOOO thick, but aside from a little extra spice, I seemed to have followed instructions well. Any pointers for lightening the mixture? Did I over-mix, maybe? Has anyone added additional liquid successfully? I thought about molasses, since that tends to pop up in gingerbread recipes, but didn’t give it a try this time. Maybe more eggs? I don’t know.
This recipe is easy and tastes great!
Does the icing harden?
How would you adjust the baking time and temp is you used mini loaf pans?!
Loved it!
Hi Rebecca, it should hold its shape in a decorative loaf pan. 🙂
Salted butter was used, no need to add extra salt.
This looks SO good!
If I use mini loaf pans to make for gifts, would the cooking time change?
I’m making this recipe at this very moment & I had to come back to check the recipe because I thought there had to be a mistake as there is no liquid anything except the applebutter (I just happened to have one last pint from the previous batch I canned! YuM!!). When I watched the video – which I did not do before – I see your batter is very thick also! I can’t wait to try this! Thanks so much for sharing your recipes.
Do you think this can be made in a bread machine? I’m new to bread machine and would like to try this recipe in it, does anyone know in what order the ingredients would go in?
*3/4 cup Molasses
So good! Everyone wanted the recipe! And I finally have a use for all that apple butter everyone gives me – LOL.
Oh My Goodness – this is truly the BEST Gingerbread I EVER tasted!!! I did make a small adjustment – I was making a double batch – I added 3/4 cup (because that was all I had) and reduced the applesauce to equal the 2 cups requested for a double batch!
Thanks for an awesome recipe! I made it to give away as small loaves and am trying to remind myself that I “can always make more!” so that I won’t keep it all at home!
Honestly this is WAY better than starbucks. I added a splash of milk to the icing and didnt add any nuts to the top. This was fabulous. Will be making this again very soon.
If you really want it to be like the Starbucks Gingerbread loaf, add chopped, candied orange peel to the top of the cream cheese frosting instead of nuts. This recipe looks delicious.
I would add a couple of Tablespoons of oil and replace some of the applesauce with buttermilk powder, yum. It will be very moist.
Would be wonderful with raisins throw in, I think.
What is Clove?
It is a spice…ground cloves in the spice aisle. Whole cloves are harder to find.
Beyond delicious! I am so pleased with the flavour.
I love the Starbucks version I will definitely make this this holiday season.
Hi there!
Would love to add this to my Christmas baking treats! Do you think it could be frozen with the icing on?
Thanks!
I love loaf breads! I do wonder though, do we have to use applesauce in it? I have none right now.
Is there a gluten free version of this?
I’m sorry Shay – I’m not on a gluten free diet so I can’t offer one. 🙁
You can buy Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour with the xanthum gum already in it, in a large bag for around $8 at SAMs Club. I use it 1:1 like regular flour.
Just made this gluten-free with Bob’s 1:1 baking flour and it was beyond amazing!! Had it today for Christmas eve breakfast and have slices ready for tomorrow. Was worried as I’m new to a gluten-free diet and usually everything tastes like cardboard, but this bread is plenty moist and delicious with that substitution. Thank you for this amazing recipe which is sure to become part of our holiday tradition!!
Loved this bread before I was vegan. Now I will veganize it so I can enjoy it again!
Love that! Make it your own 🙂
Sounds yummy. I have never had the Starbucks one, but your recipe sounds amazing!
Hope you love it Kelly! I feel like every time I am actually at Starbucks – they have already sold out! Ha! So now we can make it at home!
Looks SO scrumptious! I am in love with fresh grated nutmeg too. Thanks for sharing! I am especially fond of quick breads..and this one is very unique.
Thank you SO much Mrs. B!