Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Drizzle

I don’t know what it was. Maybe really trying gingerbread? Maybe getting up in the Christmas spirit and embracing all of the holiday themed treats?

 

I don’t know what it was, but I started sipping gingerbread lattes, nibbling gingerbread cake, fawning over gingerbread men-shaped measuring spoons at Pier1…ok, I would have thought those were adorable regardless.

But, I realized that I like it! Now, I won’t go overdoing it to the point of being back to “yuck” like I did with sweet potatoes and butternut squash (we had one good year together…and probably won’t be going back there again).

 

Here’s a yummy, lightened up version of that yummy cake! It has a festive cream cheese drizzle that’s flavored with fresh orange juice and zest, which pairs perfectly with the cinnamon and ginger cake. This will be a big hit this holiday season in your home!

 

Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Drizzle

(makes one 8×8” cake, 16 servings)

For the cake:

1 ½ cups flour (I used a mix of whole wheat and all purpose)

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup molasses

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I use Chobani)

1 egg

For the drizzle:

1 tsp. orange zest

1 Tbs. freshly squeezed orange juice

2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8” baking dish with nonstick spray.

~In a large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar. Whisk the ingredients together. Then, to the dry ingredients, add the molasses, applesauce, yogurt, and egg. Stir together until well combined.

~Bake for 25-30 min or until a test stick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before adding the drizzle.

~For the drizzle, combine all the ingredients, put them in a small plastic sandwich bag, cut off the corner, and drizzle over the top of the cake. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

 

PS: Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you!