Description
Festive winter spices dance through these gingerbread cupcakes, promising a delightful holiday treat. Warm cinnamon cream cheese frosting crowns each tender cupcake, inviting you to savor the season’s most comforting dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients (Cake):
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Spices and Leavening Agents:
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven to 350°F and arrange cupcake liners in a muffin tin.
- Sift together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and cloves. Set mixture aside.
- Cream brown sugar and butter in a separate bowl until smooth and well-integrated.
- Incorporate molasses, then egg and additional yolks, whisking until fully combined and uniform.
- Gently mix in milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract, creating a smooth liquid base.
- Delicately fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring until just incorporated without overmixing.
- Distribute batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick emerges clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Whip butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Blend vanilla, cinnamon, and salt into the cream cheese mixture, then gradually introduce powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency.
- Carefully pipe or spread frosting onto fully cooled cupcakes.
- For enhanced flavor, sprinkle additional cinnamon or nutmeg on top before serving.
- Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
Notes
- Boost Moisture by using room temperature ingredients, ensuring a tender and soft cupcake texture that melts in your mouth.
- Prevent Overmixing when combining dry and wet ingredients, as this can lead to tough, dense cupcakes with a rubbery consistency.
- Customize Dietary Needs by substituting gluten-free flour blend for regular flour and using dairy-free cream cheese and butter alternatives for those with dietary restrictions.
- Elevate Flavor Complexity by toasting spices briefly before adding to the batter, which intensifies the warm, rich aromatics of ginger and cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 434
- Sugar: 39 g
- Sodium: 196 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 92 mg