Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf

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Do you love Starbucks’ classic gingerbread loaf? You can make this easy and delicious copycat version of Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf right in your own home that is sure to impress. 

More Holiday baking? You’ll love these Gingerbread Bars, these Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars, this Starbucks Banana Bread and this Starbucks CopyCat Lemon Loaf!

Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Why We Love This Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf

This spiced old-fashioned gingerbread recipe is the perfect loaf to bake when you want the flavors of Christmas and you’re craving Starbucks!

We added a creamy, dreamy tangy lemon cream cheese buttercream frosting on top of to really get your your taste-buds a-dancing.  Oh My Gosh! 

Throughout the years, my mom would make a boxed gingerbread cake and served with warm lemon pudding on top. 

I remember how much we loved it and were always excited when she made it and lemon and gingerbread go awesome together, like it was always meant to be.  The gingerbread and lemon duo!

That’s why this Gingerbread Loaf with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting is now a reminder of my mom’s memorable dessert back in my childhood days.  

This “Copycat” Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf is going to be fantastic and by making it at home, it costs a lot less too! Wait until you taste a slice or 2! Let’s get to baking!

Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

A friend of mine at work made some homemade apple butter and luckily I received some and it’s sooo good. Nothing like homemade apple butter right?

BTW…with this Starbucks copycat recipe, you can use applesauce or apple butter, but I really liked using the apple butter to change it up and give it an extra depth of flavor!  But either one will work fine! 

Speaking of depth of flavors, besides the apple butter and gingerbread spices of ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, I added in some molasses.  You can leave it out, but I recommend using it, along with coffee extract.  YIKES!  I’m addicted! 🙂

I used coffee extract in these Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies and Hearty Pumpkin Chai Spiced Oatmeal Cookies (Chocolate Chips & Cranberries included too.  You really should try it! 

Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients You Need

Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting Recipe

  • butter softened 
  • cream cheese, room temperature
  • vanilla extract
  • confectioners’ sugar
  • lemon juice

 

How to Make Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf 

  1. Set oven to 350F
  2. Line am 8×4 loaf pan or a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper leaving ends long so you can lift it out when cooled. Spray non-stick spray over parchment paper/pan.

Gingerbread Loaf

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and set aside
  2. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and coffee or vanilla extract.
  3. Mix in the applesauce/apple butter and molasses.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients slowly until just incorporated.
  5. Add into loaf pan and level.
  6. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until it is risen and a toothpick comes out clean. Check it early to make sure you don’t overbake. 8×4 loaf pan will bake longer, and will thicker than the 9×5 loaf pan.
  7. Let cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat the cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth, then add the lemon juice.
  2. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until well blended.
  3. Frost the gingerbread loaf.

Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

More Variations

You can also top with a simple glaze of vanilla, powdered sugar and milk like on this Apple Fritter Bread.

You can also flavor the frosting with orange juice instead of lemon juice for another flavor option!

I wish I would have had some lemon curd on hand, because I think it would look super, pretty adding some drizzles of it on top of the lemon cream cheese frosting.  Next time!

Want to get more flavors?  Add some candied ginger, dried cranberries, orange zest, pecans, walnuts or pistachios in the bread or on top of the loaf to give it some textures and wonderful flavors every time you take a bite!

The flavor of this recipe for Starbucks gingerbread loaf will intensify after two days, but enjoy it for up to 5-6 days!

Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Pro Baking Tip

Don’t over bake your loaf! Don’t open the oven while it is baking or the cake can sink. After 50 minutes, test it by sticking a knife or toothpick in the middle. If the knife comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven.

Storing Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf

Store this bread in a sealed airtight container or cover it in plastic wrap for up to 6 days.

 

Starbucks GINGERBREAD LOAF RECIPE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Our Copycat Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting is a wonderful addition to the holiday baking fun! 

Perfect for snacking, breakfast, gifting to friends and family and when you’re wanting Christmas Holiday flavors! 

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More Holiday Baking!

Starbuck's Gingerbread Loaf with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Gingerbread Loaf with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Kim Lange
This "Copycat" Gingerbread loaf recipe is adapted from Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf, so you know it's going to be fantastic, (which it is, duh!) and by making it, it costs a lot less too! We added a creamy, dreamy tangy lemon cream cheese buttercream frosting on top of this spiced old-fashioned gingerbread loaf that will get your taste-buds a-dancing.  Oh My Gosh! 
No ratings yet
Prep Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Servings 8 Servings
Calories

Ingredients
  

Gingerbread Loaf

  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon coffee extract or vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 cup applesauce or apple butter
  • 1 ½ tablespoons molasses
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated or ground

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • ½ stick butter softened (4 tablespoons)
  • 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups confectioner's sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Set oven to 350F
  • Line am 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper leaving ends long so you can lift it out when cooled. Spray non-stick spray over parchment paper/pan.

Gingerbread Loaf

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and set aside
  • Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and coffee or vanilla extract.
  • Mix in the applesauce/applebutter and molasses.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly until just incorporated.
  • Add into loaf pan and level.
  • Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until it is risen and a toothpick comes out clean. Check it early to make sure you don't overbake. 8x4 loaf pan will bake longer, and will thicker than the 9x5 loaf pan.
  • Let cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • Beat the cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth, then add the lemon juice
  • Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until well blended.
  • Frost the gingerbread loaf.
Keyword BREAD, frosting, ginger, gingerbread, Starbucks
Tried This Recipe?Let us know how it was by commenting below!

 

22 Comments

  1. Hi Michelle, you can use either one. I have only tried it with the applesauce, but researching I found you can also use apple butter. Hope you enjoy!

  2. The ingredient list says 1 cup of apple butter, your instructions say add the applesauce.
    I’m confused, are we supposed to use 1 cup of apple butter or apple sauce?

  3. Yes it would Agness! You can leave off the frosting, it’s just as good with or without the frosting if you want a healthier version with the green tea!

  4. Omg, gingerbread + lemon sounds like the absolute perfect combination! And adding apple butter? Sounds like pure genius to me! I am such a gigantic gingerbread fan, so this recipe is def calling out to me, loud and clear.

    Btw your icing skills are seriously on point! All those angelic white swirls look so pro 😀

  5. My mom baked gingerbread with a lemon sauce when I was young. I like your recipe with the apple butter, and plan
    to bake this for the holidays.

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