Gingerbread Cupcakes

A plate with a gingerbread cupcake with some sugared cranberries beside it. A glass of milk behind it.

These Gingerbread Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting are like having the whole holiday season packed into one perfectly portioned cupcake. Best of all, they’re made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 578kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Mixing Bowls
Muffin pan

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210g)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
½ cup light brown sugar (110g)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅓ cup unsulphured molasses (113g)
⅓ cup whole milk room temperature (80ml)

For the Frosting:

1 (8-ounce/227g) block cream cheese room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
¼ teaspoon salt
6 cups powdered sugar (720g)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses and milk until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the milk mixture. Stop and scrape down the bowl as needed. Divide the batter among the paper liners. (They will be about three-quarters full.)
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove, and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the powdered sugar until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla and cinnamon, and beat on medium-low speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Notes

No piping bag? No problem! Make your own by snipping off the corner of a zip-top bag.
Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven to promote even cooking. Also, resist the urge to open the oven door too often, as this can cause temperature fluctuations that’ll make your cupcakes sink.
Get creative! Feel free to decorate your frosted cupcakes with fun additions like Christmas-colored sprinkles, sugared cranberries, cinnamon sticks, or even small gingerbread men using my gingerbread cookies recipe. Oh, and don’t forget to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them, or the cream cheese icing will melt.

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