First things first, these gingerbread cupcakes are ridiculously adorable. Those little gingerbread men look so cozy all tucked into the creamy whipped frosting. They are totally ready to have a holly jolly Christmas. I mean really, what could possibly be more jolly than a warmly spiced gingerbread cupcake topped with creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting with a tiny little gingerbread man chilling on top?
I can’t think of anything. Plus, they are really delicious.
Let’s get these jolly little cupcakes started…
If you would like to make your own little gingerbread men, check out my simple gingerbread cookie recipe here. I found my mini gingerbread man cookie cutter at Michaels, but any small one will do!
If you want to cut down on a few steps, Target sells these adorable mini gingerbread cookies all baked up and ready to go!
For the gingerbread cupcakes, you will need 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter, 2/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of molasses, 1 large egg, 2/3 cup of whole milk, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of all spice and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest (optional).
The lemon zest is optional, but highly recommended as it helps to balance the sweet spicy flavors in a great way. I always add a little lemon zest to gingerbread (cupcakes, cake or cookies) and I love what it adds to the finished product.
Start by creaming together 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 2/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of molasses and 1 large egg in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or stiff whisk.
Add 2/3 cup of whole milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix to incorporate.
Add 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of all spice and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest and mix until you have a smooth, creamy batter that smells incredible…
Grease or line a 12 cup cupcake tin and fill each cavity 2/3 of the way.
Bake the cupcakes on the middle rack of a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of one of the middle cupcakes.
Let the cupcakes cool on a cooling rack completely before frosting them.
Speaking of frosting… while the cupcakes are cooling off, you can whip up a batch of vanilla cream cheese frosting that you will want to eat with a spoon. This frosting is my absolute favorite and it pairs just perfectly with these gingerbread cupcakes.
Start by creaming together 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese and 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Gradually add about 3 cups of confectioners sugar (depending on how thick and how sweet you prefer your frosting to be), mixing as you go, until you have a thick, creamy whipped frosting.
You can schmear it on your cupcakes the old fashioned way or transfer it into a piping bag and add it the fancy way…. either way, they will be incredibly delicious…
Once your cupcakes have cooled, add a healthy amount of frosting onto each one, press a tiny gingerbread man on top and get ready to be amazed at just how adorable a cupcake can be….
I am head over heels in love with these cupcakes. They are absolutely adorable, but they are not just here for their looks. The flavor in the gingerbread cupcakes is amazing. Boldly spiced, warm and well balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. The texture is light and delicate, which pairs so perfectly with the creamy whipped texture of the vanilla cream cheese frosting.
They are cute. They are delicious. They are just perfect for any occasion.
Happy baking everyone!
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- 8 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup of molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup of whole milk
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of all spice
Vanilla Cream Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
- 3 cups of confectioners sugar
Garnish
- 12 mini gingerbread cookies
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Cream together 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 2/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of molasses and 1 large egg in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or stiff whisk
- Add 2/3 cup of whole milk and 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix to combine
- Combine 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of all spice and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest (optional, but recommended) and add it into the remaining ingredients
- Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated
- Grease of line a 12 cup cupcake tin
- Fill each cavity 2/3 of the way
- Bake on the middle rack of a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the middle of a cupcake clean
- Transfer the cupcakes onto a cooling rack to cool fully before frosting
- While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting by creaming together 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese with 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and mix to combine
- Add about 3 cups of confectioners sugar, a little at a time, continuing to cream the frosting as you add more
- Once the cupcakes are cool, top them with frosting and a little gingerbread man and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature
