Oh my goodness, this has to be tasted to believe. This somehow brings me back to my childhood and the taste of my Nan's gingerbread men.
Recipe by tasteofhome

A great cake for anytime but would be a special Xmas treat.

Ingredients​

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bi carb soda
• 1 tablespoon spoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Zest from 1/2 orange
• Optional: Chopped walnuts for topping

For the Frosting:

• 1/2 packet 125g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 – 2 cups icing sugar
• Zest from 1/2 orange

Directions​

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients​

Preheat the oven to 175°C or 155°C fan-forced. Grease a 9 x 5 in loaf pan

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour,  baking powder , bi carb, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and fresh grated nutmeg. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the batter​

Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg, and mix well. Blend in the applesauce and orange zest.

Gradually add the flour mixture a third at a time, mixing just until combined each time. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and even out the top with a rubber spatula.

Step 3: Bake​

Bake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when you test the center of the cake. Let it cool slightly in the loaf pan on a cooling rack. Then run a small knife around the edge of the pan to make sure it won’t stick, and turn the loaf over onto the rack to cool completely before frosting.

Step 4: Make the cream cheese frosting​

Using the stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the vanilla. Add the remaining orange zest and 1-1/2 cups of the icing sugar, and beat until smooth and creamy. You can add a bit more sugar if it’s not thick enough.

Spread a layer of frosting over the gingerbread cake, smoothing it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if desired

 

[Suzanne rose]

My daughter also cooked this for her inlaws and everyone loved it