If you want sweet and pretty spiced cupcakes for your holiday table, these are sure to be a hit! They have gingerbread flavors both in the batter and the creamy frosting. Top them with cute festive cookies for an even more whimsical mini cake.
The cakes and frosting can be made ahead and assembled the day they're served, so it makes a wonderful Christmas brunch or party dessert.
Spiced Christmas dessert
This is a sparkling way to spruce up your holiday table.
A wonderfully spiced gingerbread batter is topped with a creamy and spiced frosting and topped with mini gingerbread men cookies (which can also be store-bought, of course!). It doesn't get more festive than that!
If you want vintage and old-fashioned festive vibes, these cupcakes are a modern take on classic Christmas flavors. I use my favorite gingerbread spice mix I make at home in 3 minutes, but you can use a blend of ground cinnamon and ginger and call it a day.
I love gingerbread so much that every year I dutifully bake several batches of one of my favorite holiday recipes, this spiced loaf. I save some for Christmas day, freeze another, and gift a few to lucky friends.
These mini cakes are fluffier and sweeter, due to the higher frosting ratio, which makes them a hit for people who are not into the slightly bitter, dark gingerbread recipes from yesteryear.
Key takeaways:
These cupcakes are a classic molasses spice cake baked in cupcake form and topped with lightly spiced cream cheese frosting. They are soft, deeply flavored, easy to make, and firmly rooted in old-fashioned holiday baking, making them a reliable choice for Christmas desserts, winter baking, and vintage-inspired cupcake recipes.
Testing Notes
Creaming is essential, so don't skimp on the time it takes to create a fluffy mixture where the sugar partially dissolves in the butter.
Sift the flour mixture, as some of them can clump during storage, especially baking soda. It also adds air to the batter, which helps with fluffiness.
Don't overbeat after adding the flour, or your crumb might be tougher than you expect. Mix to incorporate at low speed, but just until integrated, and no flour spots remain.
Use a spatula at the end to make sure there are no egg or flour pools in the bottom of the bowl. The cake batter should be even-colored.
Make-ahead cakes: The cupcakes can be kept refrigerated for several days or frozen for a month. Always cover them well (I use plastic wrap and Ziploc bags or airtight containers) to prevent dryness.
The frosting can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container or the piping bag you'll use for a week. Make sure you wrap the bag in plastic to avoid dryness. And stir until smooth again if using a container.
Frosting flavor: I go back and forth between this cinnamon cream cheese frosting and adding some of the gingerbread spices from the cake to the cream cheese mixture as well.
Steps to make spiced cake batter
This is a gingerbread cupcake recipe that hails from a traditional butter cake, so the batter is pretty straightforward for this type of cake.
Sift the flour mixture
It's essential as it incorporates air and builds on the creaming step to get a fluffy, tender cake crumb.
Use a spatula
Scrape the sides of the bowl regularly as you make the batter to ensure it's well integrated.
Also, even if you use an electric mixer, end with a spatula to make sure no flour spots remain in the bottom of the bowl.
Scoop portions
Using a large cookie scoop is the easiest way to divide the batter more evenly. And usually make less of a mess while doing so.
Don't fill over ¾ of the paper liner's capacity to prevent overflow.
Bake
This is a moist batter thanks to the molasses. But for the best and sweetest result, remove the pan when a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. A few barely moist crumbs are fine, but not wet.
The top should feel springy when lightly touched.
Spiced cream cheese frosting
I like to use the same gingerbread spices I use for the batter, or just cinnamon.
Add a small amount at the beginning, stir well, taste and adjust. It's easier to add more, but not the other way.
Assembly
Even if piping is not your forte (it sure isn't mine!), it's pretty easy to frost these cupcakes.
Piping or pastry bag: I use disposable large pastry bags because they're fuss-free, and regular ones can be a pain to wash. I sometimes reuse disposable ones twice. If you have leftover buttercream, you can keep the bag in the fridge for a week, sometimes more.
Piping tips: There are two that I constantly reach for that are great for beginners: the round tip and the star tip. You can buy a decorating piping tip set that includes the most common ones.
Pipe or spoon?
Even though piping is prettier and usually makes for a more stunning cupcake, you can get great results by spooning buttercream, smoothing the sides and making an indentation at the top to place the eggs.
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Soft Gingerbread Cupcakes with Spiced Frosting
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 to 3 teaspoons gingerbread spice mix, homemade or store-bought
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup unsulfured molasses, I also love cane syrup for this recipe
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon gingerbread spices or ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
To garnish:
- 12 mini gingerbread cookies, homemade or store-bought, optional
Instructions
Make the gingerbread cupcake batter:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 to 3 teaspoons gingerbread spice mix. Set aside.
- In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, stir together ⅓ cup unsulfured molasses and ½ cup buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream ½ cup unsalted butter, softened, and ½ cup packed brown sugar until light, fluffy, and pale in color, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, incorporating well. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix.
- Add half of the dry ingredients mixture to the butter mixture, lightly mix without incorporating fully, then pour in the buttermilk-molasses mixture and mix until just barely incorporated. Finish with the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix just until everything is combined and smooth, but avoid overbeating. Do so at the lowest speed.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, dividing evenly and filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, but not a wet batter.
- Remove from the oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
- In a medium bowl, beat together 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened, and ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature until smooth and lump-free.
- Gradually add in 4 cups powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat to incorporate fully, until you reach your desired sweetness and consistency.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon gingerbread spices or ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- If the frosting feels too soft, refrigerate it for 30-60 minutes to firm up before piping or add more sugar.
Assemble the cupcakes:
- Fit a piping bag (with a larger star or flower tip) with the cream cheese frosting and pipe a swirl of frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes.
- Place a decorated 12 mini gingerbread cookies (optional) on each frosted cupcake.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep well for up to 5 days.
- Before serving, you can bring them to room temperature so the flavors are more noticeable and the frosting is softer.
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