Gingerbread Cupcakes – The perfect light and fluffy cupcakes made with a blend of warm spices and molasses. Topped with spiced white chocolate buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are perfect for the holidays.
Gingerbread Cupcakes
If you love gingerbread cookies, then this is the dessert for you! All of your favorite gingerbread flavors are jam-packed into personal gingerbread cupcakes that are topped with a delicious spiced white chocolate buttercream frosting. I love that these cupcakes taste like the holidays but are a great alternative to cookies!
Common Questions About Making Gingerbread Cupcakes
What are gingerbread cupcakes?
Gingerbread cupcakes are a simple cupcake made with warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg along with molasses and topped with spiced white chocolate buttercream frosting.
How many servings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
How can I decorate gingerbread cupcakes?
Some of my favorite ways to decorate them are –
- Putting a star of anise or chunk of a cinnamon stick on top. Just make sure to pull it off before eating.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Top with a tiny gingerbread man!
How long do these cupcakes last?
Gingerbread cupcakes last up to two days when stored in a refrigerated airtight container.
What other holiday cupcakes can I make?
My other favorite holiday cupcakes are –
- Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
- Sugared Cranberry Cupcakes
How can I make the perfect cupcakes?
- Follow the recipe – While I totally understand dietary restrictions, if you plan on making changes to the ingredients, I cannot guarantee the recipe will work. If you are facing this problem, I will gently suggest that you may want to consider finding a cupcake recipe on a site that specifically develops for the diet you are on such as a keto baking website or vegan baking website. Too many times have I seen recipes for wrong for people because they started to adjust the recipe too much.
- Don’t over-mix the cupcakes – If you want to keep cupcakes light and airy, avoiding over-mixing is key. Mix until just barely combined.
- Let the cupcakes completely cool before frosting – This is a classic mistake that people constantly make (including me). Your cupcakes are done baking, you are ready to sit down and eat one so you touch the cupcake and say “this is most definitely cool” even though it’s only been out of the oven for like, 5 minutes. Wrong. Your frosting will just slide off the cupcake and it’ll be really sad. To be safe, I’d say give them 1-2 hours before frosting.
- Don’t over fill the cupcake liners – If you overfill the cupcake liners, you will definitely have some overflow which isn’t pretty and elegant. Stick to filling each liner about 3/4 full.
- Spin the cupcake tin halfway through cooking – An oven’s heat is generally not terribly even so a simple way to make sure all of the cupcakes cook all the way through is to spin the pan about 1/2 way through baking 180 degrees.
Ingredient Notes –
- Milk adds moisture to the cupcakes so they don’t become too dry – you can use any type of milk you like in this recipe.
- Vegetable oil adds richness to the cupcakes and helps keep them soft.
- Molasses is a classic addition to gingerbread – make sure to use dark molasses.
- Eggs bind the cupcakes together so they don’t crumble apart when baked.
- Vanilla enhances the flavor of the spices and molasses.
- Flour gives the cupcakes structure – make sure to measure using the spoon and level technique so you don’t make the cupcakes too dry.
- Baking powder helps the cupcakes rise.
- I use cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to spice the cupcakes but you could also use a pre-made gingerbread seasoning (or even pumpkin pie seasoning).
- Butter gives the frosting structure – make sure it’s fully softened so you don’t end up with lumps in your frosting.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the frosting and gives it structure as well.
- White chocolate adds great flavor but you can leave it out if you prefer.
Looking for more holiday recipes? Check these out!
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Gingerbread Cupcakes – The perfect light and fluffy cupcakes made with a blend of warm spices and molasses. Topped with spiced white chocolate buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the White Chocolate Buttercream
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips (melted and cooled)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven and line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, molasses, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing just until they are fully combined. You don't want to overmix.
- Divide the batter between the tins, filling each one 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack before frosting.
For the White Chocolate Buttercream
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar. Mix until all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated.
- Add the white chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy - about 1 minute.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
- Frost as desired and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
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