Bake the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter and flour a mini loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk, applesauce, vanilla extract and orange zest, and continue mixing until mixture is completely combined.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients, mixing only until just barely combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top of each mini loaf. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the loaves comes out clean.
5. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, the remove from the pan and allow to cool off completely.

Make the Icing:

1. While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a mixing bowl, beat together icing sugar, butter, vanilla extract and 1 tbsp whipping cream until smooth and spreadable. (If the icing looks too thick, add more whipping cream, a teaspoon at a time, until it loosens up to the right consistency. If it looks too runny, add more icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it thickens up.)

Frost and Decorate:

1. Once the loaves have cooled, spread a thin layer of icing onto each cake and decorate with a few bits of chopped orange peel. Devour on the spot, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.