Gingerbread Cupcakes

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.

How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes

Gingerbread cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, molasses, vanilla extract, and milk. Whisk to combine.
3. 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.
4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon) to portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners.
5. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes.
6. 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)!

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and cream cheese. Whip on medium speed until smooth.
2. Add in the powdered sugar in two batches, mixing on low speed in between each addition.
3. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and continue to mix. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth.

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Gingerbread Cupcakes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Yield: 12 cupcakes

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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.

Equipment

• Stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or electric hand mixer

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

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
• ▢ ⅓ 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.
• Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk until well combined. 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

• 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

Gingerbread cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days!

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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