Description
These Gingerbread Cupcakes are a delightful holiday treat featuring warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Moist and tender, they are topped with a rich, creamy cream cheese frosting that perfectly complements the spicy cupcake base. Ideal for festive gatherings, these cupcakes balance deep molasses flavor with a fluffy texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Gingerbread Cupcakes:
- 1 2/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 6 TBSP Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 TBSP Oil, canola or vegetable
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Molasses, not blackstrap
- 1 Large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 cups Powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Cream Butter, Oil, and Sugar: Using a mixer on high speed in a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, and brown sugar for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Combine: Add the vanilla extract, molasses, and egg to the butter mixture. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Then add the sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk; mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is well incorporated.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Use a large cookie scoop to portion the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full to avoid overly large tops.
- Bake Cupcakes: Bake the cupcakes for 18-21 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the cupcakes to sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting – Sift Sugar: Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Cream Cheese: Beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat on high for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and continue beating until smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Vanilla: Add half the powdered sugar and mix on low speed. Then add the remaining sugar and mix on low until combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat on high speed until the frosting is creamy and fluffy.
- Frost Cupcakes: Using a piping bag fitted with a large French star tip, pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in decorative swirls.
Notes
- Flour – Make sure to spoon and level the flour when measuring, or use a kitchen scale to avoid compacted flour which can dry out the cupcakes.
- High altitude baking – Add an extra 1 tablespoon of flour if baking at high altitude.
- Pull out dairy ingredients (butter, egg, buttermilk, cream cheese) 2 hours before baking to ensure they are at room temperature for best mixing results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake with frosting
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 230mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
