Gingerbread Cupcakes l Life Love and Sugar

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These Gingerbread Cupcakes are completely spiced and extremely moist with a young, fluffy crumb. They’re simple to make and put collectively and the caramel cream cheese frosting is an added bonus that actually units them excessive.

Scrumptious Gingerbread Cupcakes For Christmas

Gingerbread is a kind of flavors that you just actually solely have one time a 12 months, so I attempt to ensure I squeeze a lot in. I like it! Cinnamon and nutmeg get a lot of the consideration within the fall, however ginger is the star spice right here, together with some molasses, and it’s so good. These cupcakes makes a terrific deal with for the vacations as a result of they’re simple to make, tremendous cute and so shareable.

Why You’ll Love Them

Easy methodology. I all the time love when an incredible cupcake additionally has a easy methodology. There’s no want for creaming and complication with these cupcakes. You’ll simply be stirring all the pieces collectively within the right order.
Completely spiced. These gingerbread cupcakes are made with loads of spices, particularly ginger, in addition to molasses to offer them that traditional gingerbread taste.
Tremendous moist and tender. Substances like bitter cream and brown sugar assist give these cupcakes an ultra-moist and tender crumb.
Caramel frosting. These cupcakes are completed with a caramel cream cheese frosting that I really like. The caramel is the right complement to the nice and cozy gingerbread flavors and the cream cheese provides only a little bit of tang to stability out the sweetness.

Should you like these cupcakes, you’ll want to attempt my yummy Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing too!

Ingredients needed to make gingerbread cupcakes

Ingredient Notes

It could look like an extended checklist, however that’s largely due to the spices. In any other case, it’s quite a lot of baking staples. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card under for precise measurements.

Spices and Molasses – I used floor ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, together with molasses, to create the traditional gingerbread taste in these cupcakes. Make sure you use unsulphered molasses, NOT blackstrap molasses.
Bitter cream – Whereas sticking with bitter cream is right, you possibly can additionally use plain Greek yogurt or extra milk.
Milk – Complete or 2% milk will probably be finest.
Cream cheese – Make sure you use full-dat brick-style cream cheese in order that it’s agency sufficient and convey it to room temperature earlier than beginning.
Powdered sugar – The quantity of powdered sugar may be adjusted, however remember the fact that the quantity listed provides quantity and stability to the frosting. If you need much less frosting and wish to preserve stability, you need to cut back all the pieces is similar proportions, not simply the powdered sugar.
Caramel sauce – I like to recommend utilizing a thicker caramel sauce to forestall scaling down the frosting an excessive amount of. I exploit my simple salted caramel sauce.

Gingerbread cupcakes with caramel frosting and a gingerbread man cookie

How To Make Gingerbread Cupcakes

Each the gingerbread cupcakes and caramel frosting come collectively in just a few easy steps. Simply you’ll want to plan for loads of time for the cupcakes to chill earlier than adorning. You’ll find the printable model of the directions within the recipe card under.

Make the cupcakes

Prep. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Mix the dry components. Whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Put aside.
Mix moist components. In a big bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract collectively till properly mixed. Add the egg and egg white and whisk collectively till properly mixed. Subsequent, add the bitter cream, molasses and milk and whisk collectively till properly mixed.
Add the dry components. Add the dry components and whisk collectively till mixed, however don’t over combine.

Butter, brown sugar and vanilla mixed together in glass bowl — Mix butter, brown sugar and vanilla.

Batter after adding the rest of the wet ingredients. — Mix butter, brown sugar and vanilla.

Bake. Switch the batter to the cupcake liners, filling every one somewhat greater than midway. Bake for 16-20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear.
Cool. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack to chill fully earlier than frosting.

Gingerbread cupcake batter in cupcake liners

Make the frosting and assemble

Make the frosting. Combine the cream cheese and butter till easy then add half of the powdered sugar. Combine till properly mixed and easy then add the vanilla and a couple of tablespoons of caramel sauce. Add the remaining powdered sugar, mixing till easy and mixed, then add extra caramel sauce as wanted to get the proper taste and consistency.
Adorn the cupcakes. Match the piping bag with a big piping tip (I used Ateco tip 808) and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Prime with a gingerbread man cookie if desired. Refrigerate till able to serve.

Gingerbread cupcakes topped with caramel frosting and gingerbread cookies

Suggestions For Success

Measure correctly – Probably the most widespread errors is including an excessive amount of flour. Ensure it’s measured correctly to keep away from dry cupcakes. I all the time suggest a meals scale.
Don’t over combine – When you mix the moist and dry components, combine simply till all the pieces is properly mixed. Over mixing can result in dense cupcakes.
Cool the cupcakes fully – The cupcakes needs to be totally cooled earlier than you add the frosting. You can even bake them a day prematurely if desired.
Pipe-able frosting – Should you plan to pipe your frosting, not simply unfold it onto the cupcakes, you want it to be thick sufficient to remain in place. Cream cheese frosting is notably softer than common buttercream, so maintain that in thoughts as you add your powdered sugar. If you wish to use much less sugar, take into account decreasing all of the frosting components in equal proportions, in order that the frosting continues to be thick sufficient to carry form after being piped.
Thick caramel sauce – Relying on the caramel sauce used, you could wish to add extra after you add within the remaining powdered sugar. I like to recommend a thicker caramel sauce so that you get a extra intense taste with out thinning the frosting an excessive amount of. It needs to be pipe-able, not so skinny that it collapses on the cupcakes.

Frosted gingerbread cupcakes topped with a gingerbread cookie

Correct Storage

Fridge: These frosted gingerbread cupcakes needs to be refrigerated in an hermetic container or cake service till you’re able to serve however are finest served at room temperature. The frosting will probably be agency when chilly. I like to drag them from the fridge for 30-60 minutes earlier than having fun with them. These cupcakes are finest eaten inside 3-4 days.
Freezing: These cupcakes may be frozen. Retailer them in an air-tight container and freeze them, or flash freeze them for an hour, then wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap. They are often frozen for as much as 3 months. Once you’re able to take pleasure in them, thaw them within the fridge.