These fluffy and moist gingerbread cupcakes have a sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Decorate with a gingerbread man cookie, and they are the perfect holiday cupcake!
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🧁These cupcakes are so fun!
I was thinking of adding an easy cupcake recipe to my website for Christmas, and gingerbread came to my mind. Cupcakes are way easier to make than a cake, and a quick dessert is always helpful during the busy holidays!
This gingerbread cupcake is super moist - no one likes dry cupcakes! I topped the cupcakes with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting (super yummy!) and added a gingerbread man on top. I added pomegranate seeds and rosemary to them for a bit of colour, but you can easily leave them out if you like.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredients Notes
- Brown sugar - Either light or dark brown sugar works in this recipe.
- Egg whites - This is for the royal icing for the gingerbread men. If you are not making gingerbread, you don't need this ingredient.
- Buttermilk - Substitute with 2 ¼ teaspoons of vinegar and ½ cup milk.
- Unsalted butter - You can substitute with salted butter. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
🔪Instructions
Gingerbread Cupcakes
In a medium bowl, whish flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix butter and brown sugar together for 3 minutes. Add eggs and mix together. Then add molasses, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix until everything is combined.
Add dry ingredients into the bowl, and mix until everything is just combined. Do not overmix. Divide dough into 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350°F (180°C), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool to room temperature before frosting.
Cinnamon Frosting
Add cream cheese and butter to a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Add sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together.
Gingerbread Men Cookies
Make the gingerbread men cookies, let them cool, then make the royal icing to decorate them.
Add egg whites to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until soft peaks form. Slowly add powdered sugar until the icing becomes smooth. Decorate the cookies with the royal icing and aside to let the icing set at room temperature.
To Assemble
Pipe cinnamon frosting onto cooled cupcakes. I used Wilson 1M piping tip. Add decorated gingerbread man on top, if using. Add pomegranate seeds and a rosemary sprig to each cupcake, if using.
✔️Expert Tips
- Instead of buttermilk, substitute with 2 ¼ teaspoons of vinegar and ½ cup milk.
- Do not overmix the dough. We want a fluffy and moist cupcake.
- If wanting to use fresh ginger, substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger with ½ teaspoon fresh ginger.
- Instead of gingerbread men, decorate with holiday sprinkles, sugared cranberries, or a dusting of cinnamon.
💭FAQs
You could add some festive holiday sprinkles or a dusting of cinnamon. You could also flavour the cream cheese frosting with maple extract instead of cinnamon. Or you can add a buttercream frosting instead of cream cheese.
You can prepare the cupcakes a day in advance. Cover and store at room temperature overnight. You can also make the cookies and decorate them up to 3 days in advance.
You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before frosting.
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Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
Gingerbread cupcake
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teasoon ground cloves
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Gingerbread cookies
- 12 gingerbread men cookies
- 2 tablespoons egg whites
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds optional
- 12 sprigs rosemary optional
Instructions
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 12 cupcake pan cups with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whish flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix butter and brown sugar together for 3 minutes. Add eggs and mix together. Then add molasses, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix until everything is combined.
- Add dry ingredients into the bowl, and mix until everything is just combined. Do not overmix. Divide dough into the prepared 12 cupcake cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool to room temperature before frosting.
Cinnamon Frosting
- Add cream cheese and butter to a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Add sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together.
Royal Icing
- If making the gingerbread men cookies, follow this for the royal icing to decorate them.
- Add egg whites to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until soft peaks form. Slowly add powdered sugar until the icing becomes smooth.
- Decorate the cookies with the royal icing and aside to let the icing set at room temperature.
To Assemble
- Pipe cinnamon frosting onto cooled cupcakes. I used Wilson 1M piping tip. Add decorated gingerbread man on top, if using. Add pomegranate seeds and a rosemary sprig to each cupcake, if using.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Instead of buttermilk, substitute with 2 ¼ teaspoons of vinegar and ½ cup milk.
- Don't overmix the dough. We want a moist and fluffy cupcake.
- If you want to use fresh ginger, substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger with ½ teaspoon fresh ginger.
- Instead of decorating with gingerbread men cookies, decorate with festive sprinkles, sugared cranberries, or a dusting of ground cinnamon.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️