Gingerbread Cupcakes | Cookies & Cups

What Makes These Gingerbread Cupcakes So Good?

With the festive season across the nook, I can’t wait to have these gingerbread cupcakes on repeat! These smooth, moist gingerbread cupcakes style lots like my soft-baked gingerbread cookies, flavored with caramelized brown sugar and a touch of molasses. Right here’s what makes these fluffy gingerbread cupcakes so nice:

• Simple elements. Nearly each ingredient in these cupcakes is a pantry staple, other than possibly the molasses. Fortunately, I had a jar left over from my final batch of molasses cookies! In any case, all the things you want is simple to search out within the grocery retailer.
• They style identical to gingerbread! I really like how shut in taste these do-it-yourself cupcakes are to basic gingerbread cookies. There’s loads of candy burnt caramel and heat spice in every fluffy chunk. The tangy cream cheese frosting compliments the gingerbread completely!
• The very best cream cheese frosting. Talking of frosting, I make the white chocolate cream cheese frosting with a field of white chocolate prompt pudding combine. It’s a game-changer. The feel of the frosting is silky easy and it tastes prefer it got here from a bakery.
• Good for the vacations. If vacation cheer was a dessert, it will be a frosted gingerbread cupcake. They’re tremendous festive and straightforward to customise, you’ll be able to beautify them any means that you simply like.

Elements You’ll Want

These are some notes on the vital elements on this gingerbread cupcakes recipe. Scroll to the printable recipe card beneath the submit for the complete recipe measurements and particulars.

For the Cupcakes

• Flour – All-purpose is greatest.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda – Verify the dates on the packaging to ensure your leavening is contemporary and never expired.
• Spices – Floor ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, plus a pinch of salt. You may as well substitute the person spices with pumpkin pie spice.
• Butter – Delivered to room temperature. You should use salted or unsalted butter.
• Brown Sugar – Darkish brown sugar offers these cupcakes a richer, caramelized taste. Mild brown sugar works in a pinch. You may as well comply with my tutorial on how to make brown sugar from granulated sugar.
• Molasses – I like to recommend common, medium, or darkish molasses for gingerbread. No matter you do, keep away from blackstrap molasses, which is much too bitter.
• Egg – Additionally at room temperature.

For the Frosting

• Prompt Pudding – I exploit one 3.5-ounce field of white chocolate prompt pudding combine. You may additionally use vanilla prompt pudding.
• Milk – Be sure it’s chilly from the fridge.
• Powdered Sugar – Additionally referred to as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar.
• Cream Cheese – You’ll wish to use a block of plain, full-fat cream cheese (not the type that is available in tubs).
• Cool Whip – Thawed beforehand.

The right way to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes

The cream cheese frosting for these cupcakes wants to relax for about an hour within the fridge earlier than you employ it, so be certain to funds your time accordingly. I’ll generally get the frosting within the fridge first after which get began on the gingerbread cupcakes, or I’ll chill the frosting whereas the cupcakes cool to room temperature. It’s as much as you! 

Right here’s a fast take a look at the recipe steps, and you’ll discover printable directions within the recipe card on the backside of the submit.

Recipe Suggestions

• Don’t overmeasure. It’s vital to measure elements like flour accurately, in any other case it modifications the end result of the cupcakes. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and stage off the highest with the again of a knife (fairly than scooping immediately from the bag). Even higher, use a kitchen scale!
• Alternate including the dry elements with the recent water. Scorching water makes the cupcake batter simpler to combine and prevents lumps. Be sure so as to add the flour combination just a little at a time, including sizzling water in between, beginning and ending with the dry combination.
• Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. I like to recommend filling every cupcake liner not more than ⅔ full. For those who’re utilizing a smaller pan, intention for ¾ full. For those who fill the liners too excessive, the gingerbread cupcakes would possibly overflow and/or deflate within the oven.

Extra Adorning Concepts

There’s a couple of technique to beautify a Christmassy gingerbread cupcake!

• Completely different frosting. These gingerbread cupcakes would additionally style nice frosted with vanilla buttercream, heritage frosting, or Swiss meringue buttercream.
• Cookie garnishes. Prime the frosted cupcakes with mini gingerbread males or broken-up gingersnaps. 
• Add sprinkles. Brighten up these cupcakes with festive vacation sprinkles. Attempt a pink, white, and inexperienced Christmas combine or gold balls (dragees).
• Caramel drizzle. End every frosted cupcake with a drizzle of microwave caramel sauce. Simply make it possible for the caramel is cool earlier than you drizzle it in order that it doesn’t soften the frosting.

The right way to Retailer

• Refrigerate. The frosted gingerbread cupcakes may be saved coated and hermetic within the fridge for as much as 3 days. You may as well retailer the unfrosted cupcakes and frost them earlier than serving.
• Freeze. The baked, unfrosted cupcakes may be frozen in a freezer bag or hermetic container for as much as 1 month. Thaw them within the fridge or at room temperature.