Gingerbread Cupcakes {with Cream Cheese Frosting}
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Gingerbread Cupcakes – tender, fluffy cake is brimming with well-spiced, deep molasses flavor, then it’s finished with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. So fun and so festive! If you want to go all out finish them off with mini gingerbread men and Christmas sprinkles.
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Less than 10 days until Christmas! Are you ready for it? If you said yes you’re wrong, you haven’t made these cupcakes yet so once you do…then you’re ready for Christmas :).
These cupcakes have perfectly decadent flavor and they taste just like a gingerbread cookie! The spices are warm and comforting, with the perfect gingerbread flavor that comes from blackstrap molasses.
Then you pair the flavor of gingerbread with a decadent cream cheese frosting you know good things are bound to happen. I like cream cheese over your usually expected buttercream frosting, which I think would be a bit too sweet. Cream cheese frosting would be good on anything – I mean if I could pipe a huge pile of it over my bowl of oatmeal in the morning without gaining pound after pound I would.
Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe
For the gingerbread on these cupcakes, I used these mini molds. They are so much fun!
I also used a Wilton #1 round tip for my piping bag – since it’s the tiniest I could find. Then the recipe I used is my Gingerbread Cookie recipe which also includes an icing recipe to go with it (keep in mind though since they are so tiny they will be more of a crisp cookie and not so soft and chewy).
Baking with the family during the holidays is a tradition for us, so these cupcakes are always made with the assistance of the kids. Larger kids can man the bowl of a stand mixer, while younger kids can whisk their dry ingredients in a large bowl.
I only made a half batch but I still got tons of baby gingies. My kids couldn’t get over them!
Who am I kidding? I couldn’t get over them either!
I love everything tiny so I think baby gingerbread men will be a new Christmas tradition around here.
And of course, if I’m going to be making them again they need these decadent cupcakes to go with them! So much fun and deliciousness together in one cute cupcake!
You could even skip the frosting, dust them with snow powder (aka powdered sugar), and call them muffins!
More Gingerbread Recipes to Try!
- Gingerbread Bars
- Gingerbread Cake
- Gingerbread Pancakes
- Gingerbread Waffles
- Gingerbread Doughnut Muffins
Follow Cooking Classy
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 2/3 cups (234g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup (116g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120ml) unsulphured molasses
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- Mini gingerbread men for decoration (optional)
Frosting
- 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, nearly at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, nearly at room temperature
- 3 cups (370g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray liners and top of pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip brown sugar and butter until pale and fluffy.
- Mix in vegetable oil then blend in eggs one at a time. Mix in molasses.
- Mix in flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with 2 additions of milk between (mix just until combined after each addition).
- Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and fold batter.
- Divide mixture among 12 paper lined muffin cups filling each 2/3 full.
- Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 19 - 22 minutes.
- Cool in pan several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool (after about 10 minutes I recommend letting them continue to cool in an airtight container so they don't dry).
- Once cool frost with cream cheese frosting. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator then let rest at room temp about 20 minutes before serving.
- For the frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy*.
Notes
- *If frosting is slightly runny simply freeze in 3 minute increments, whipping again with mixer between increments until desired consistency is reached.
- Recipe inspired by King Arthur Flour