Holiday Gingerbread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan or a square baking pan.
Stir flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a bowl.
Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Dissolve baking soda into applesauce and mix into the creamed butter. Stir in 1 teaspoon orange extract. Add flour mixture and mix batter until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out just slightly sticky, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour.
Beat cream cheese in a bowl with the electric blender until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract. Add confectioners' sugar gradually and beat until well combined. Spread frosting onto cooled cake.