Soft Gingerbread Cupcakes with Spiced Frosting
Soft mini cakes made with molasses and warm spices, topped with a spiced cream cheese frosting. An old fashioned holiday cupcake recipe that’s easy, moist, and full of Christmas flavor.
Servings 12 cupcakes
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.
Notes
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.
