Description
Celebrate the holidays with these festive Christmas Gingerbread Cupcakes topped with spiced gingerbread cookies and creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. These moist cupcakes are flavored with classic gingerbread spices and molasses, making them a perfect seasonal treat for family gatherings or holiday parties.
Ingredients
Scale
Gingerbread Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 heaping tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup (90g) unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
Royal Icing
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp meringue powder
- 2–3 tbsp milk
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp (205g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (125g) unsulfured molasses
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk*
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz Philadelphia full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (450g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare Gingerbread Cookies Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients for cookies including flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- Mix Molasses and Egg: In a small bowl, lightly beat together molasses and egg; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar for Cookies: Using an electric mixer, cream together unsalted butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Combine Cookie Ingredients: Mix the molasses-egg mixture into butter-sugar mixture until smooth, then gradually blend in the dry ingredients to form the dough.
- Roll and Chill Dough: Divide dough in half, roll each half between parchment paper to 1/4 inch thickness, lightly flour as needed. Stack and refrigerate dough until firm while making cupcakes.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Cupcake Tin: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Mix Dry Ingredients for Cupcakes: Whisk together all dry ingredients for cupcakes including flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients for Cupcakes: In a measuring cup, mix buttermilk and molasses; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar for Cupcakes: Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream unsalted butter and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in eggs one at a time, then incorporate vanilla extract.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add half of the dry ingredients, then all the milk/molasses mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Fill and Bake Cupcakes: Evenly divide batter into cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove cupcakes from oven and cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Cookies for Baking: Check cookie dough; if firm, stamp out shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until edges darken evenly.
- Make Royal Icing: Whisk powdered sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Add milk by tablespoon until mixture has a glue-like consistency. Transfer to piping bag with small tip for decorating cookies. Allow icing to dry hard.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream together room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually mix in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, then add vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Frost Cupcakes and Decorate: Fill a piping bag with large French tip and swirl frosting over cooled cupcakes. Top each with cooled gingerbread cookie decorated with royal icing.
- Storage: Store cupcakes in the fridge if keeping longer than a couple of hours. Bring to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gingerbread Cookies: These cookies are optional but add festive flair. This recipe yields a large dough batch—use half for mini cookies and the rest for regular-sized cookies rolled thicker. Dough keeps in fridge for up to a week or freezer for a month.
- Buttermilk Substitute: To make your own buttermilk, combine 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Let it sit 5-10 minutes to curdle before using.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake with frosting and cookie
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
