Gingerbread cupcakes are perfect for the holidays! A moist gingerbread cupcake flavored with molasses, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, topped with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. These gingerbread cupcakes are an easy and delicious Christmas treat!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cupcakes
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness and molasses flavor.
- Granulated sugar: For additional sweetness.
- Vegetable oil: You can also use canola oil or any other neutral baking oil.
- Egg: Large egg, room temperature.
- Molasses: Molasses gives these cupcakes classic gingerbread flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds a bit of vanilla flavor.
- Milk: Room temperature.
- All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder: A leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors in the cupcakes.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, & cloves: Warm spices that add to the classic gingerbread flavor.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature for easy creaming.
- Cream cheese: Room temperature to combine with the butter.
- Powdered sugar: To add structure and sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds great flavor.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
Tools & Supplies for Making Gingerbread Cupcakes
How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes
Gingerbread cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, molasses, vanilla extract, and milk. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves). Whisk until the flour mixture is well combined with the wet ingredients. Do not overmix the batter.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon) to portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners.
- Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes.
- Remove the cupcake pan from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream cheese frosting
To make the cream cheese frosting, I recommend using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. If you want to know more about this frosting, check out the recipe blog post for my cream cheese frosting! If you prefer, you could also use vanilla buttercream frosting or cinnamon cream cheese frosting (just cut the recipe in half)!
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and cream cheese. Whip on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar in two batches, mixing on low speed in between each addition.
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt and continue to mix. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth.
Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe Tips
Bake perfect cupcakes
Be sure to check out my Baking Tips blog post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes to learn my favorite tips and tricks to making the best cupcakes!
Decorating the cupcakes
For the pictured cupcakes, I used a French piping tip, which is an open star piping tip with a lot of teeth! Hold the piping bag vertically, 1 inch above the cupcake and apply pressure to the piping bag to pipe a mound of cream cheese frosting. Do not move the piping tip. Let off the pressure. Pipe another mound of frosting on top. Let off the pressure and pull up. Sprinkle on a bit of cinnamon if desired.
Texture
These gingerbread cupcakes are a bit of a denser cupcake due to the addition of molasses. When checking for doneness, the cupcakes will not bounce back as many of my other cupcake recipes do. If you are not sure if the cupcakes are done baking, use a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake to check and see if it is baked. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done!
Storing ad serving
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To serve, remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
Click here to see a quick video on how to make gingerbread cupcakes! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- â…“ cup milk room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- a large mixing bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, molasses, vanilla extract, and milk. Whisk to combine.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon) to portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners.
- Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes.
- Remove the cupcake pan from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and cream cheese. Whip on medium high with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until light and creamy.
- Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Turn the mixer on high speed and whip for approximately 2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. (Pictured: French piping tip). Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the top if desired.
Notes
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