Easy Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe
This Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe uses molasses, buttermilk, and cozy spices to create tender cupcakes finished with silky cream cheese frosting.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- Kitchen scale (optional but recommended)
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Muffin tin (12-cup)
- Cupcake liners
- Cooling rack
- Piping bag (optional for frosting)
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups 190g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves optional but lovely
- ½ cup 115g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup 100g brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup 60ml molasses
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup 120ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz 225g cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup 115g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ½ cups 300g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. I always do this first so I’m not scrambling later with batter ready to go.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisking evenly distributes the spices — and trust me, you don’t want a random bite full of cloves.
Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 2–3 minutes with a hand mixer. The mixture should look creamy and slightly lighter in color.
Step 4: Add Molasses and Egg
- Add the molasses and mix until combined. Then add the egg and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything blends evenly.
Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry
- Add half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Mix gently. Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix again. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and fold just until combined. Do not overmix — this keeps the cupcakes soft.
Step 6: Fill and Bake
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Your kitchen will smell incredible right now. Deep, warm spice with that sweet molasses note. It’s my favorite moment.
Step 7: Cool Completely
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. They must cool completely before frosting.
Step 8: Make the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed at first. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat until fluffy.
Step 9: Frost and Decorate
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto cooled cupcakes. You can dust with cinnamon, add a sprinkle of crushed ginger cookies, or leave them beautifully simple.
- And there you have it — my favorite Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe ready to enjoy.