Starbucks Holiday Gingerbread anyone?

This cake is the bane of my diet and I have to really force myself to stay away from Starbucks during the holidays. It's more of a spiced apple cake than true gingerbread. It's lovely and moist with loads of flavour but if I want to wat cake I would rather make it myself, so I've been trying to track down the recipe for a couple of years. I've checked the ingredients on the back of the box in Starbucks, I've scrolled through screeds of information on the internet. Well I think I've finally found it!!! And now I'm sharing the joy. Happy Holidays!!!

1/2 C softened butter
1 C sugar (I use a mix of brown and white)
2 eggs
1 orange zested OR 3 T chopped candied orange peel
1 t fresh ginger (I use it from a jar or tube kept in the fridge)
3 T orange juice
1 t vanilla
1 C unsweetened applesauce
2 C all purpose flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t fresh nutmeg
1/4 t Colemans mustard powder
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 T chopped candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare loaf tins. I use 2 small foil loaf tins, but 1 regular sized tin works well.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Mix fresh ginger, applesauce, orange zest (or candied peel) and orange juice together.
Cream butter and sugars together till light and fluffy.
Add eggs & vanilla, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in the wet ingredients.
Fold in the dry ingredients and the chopped candied ginger.
Pour into loaf tin(s) and bake until a skewer comes out clean - about 1 hour.

This "gingerbread" loaf can be iced with a lemon cream cheese icing but I don't usually bother - don't need those extra calories and I don't have the knack for making it. You can add more spices if you like but be wary of overdoing the cloves.

It freezes really well and is just as good if not better once defrosted. I normally keep the loaf we are eating in the fridge. Kids love it too!