Amish Friendship Gingerbread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup amish starter
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce (I use natural unsweetened)
1/4 cup milk or 1/4 cup cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons molasses
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (4 ounce) box instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/4 - 1/2 cup candied orange peel (optional)
1/4 cup fairly thin cream cheese frosting

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine wet ingredients: starter, egg, oil, applesauce, milk or cream, vanilla, and molasses. Stir well.
Combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and pudding mix in a separate bowl. Whisk until well-combined.
Add dry mix gradually to wet mix, and stir until barely combined. Stir in candied peel if using.
Spread in greased loaf pan.
Bake (at 325 degrees) approximately one hour. Check it at fifty minutes to determine baking time for your oven!
Remove from oven and cool on a rack. When BARELY warm to the touch, spread cream cheese frosting over top of loaf. I like runny, glazey, drippy frosting--if you like it thicker, you'll need more frosting and a light hand to keep from tearing pieces off the top of this tender loaf!