Its only hours till Christmas day and if you are a well organised person then I am sure you are sitting down right now and enjoying the calm before the festive storm. 😀
If you are more like me, then you are running around trying to get everything done before the shops are completely stripped bare and you find yourself fighting in the isle with some other mad woman over the last bag of brussel sprouts.
This is how this recipe has come about, I realised I hadn’t made gingerbread this Christmas and what is Christmas without gingerbread?
So if you can squeeze one more festive recipe in then give these gingerbread cupcakes with ginger cream cheese frosting a go. Believe me when I tell you they are quick and easy to put together, bursting with festive aromas and are deep and rich in flavour.
The deep aromas and flavours come from the spices of ginger, nutmeg, all spice and cloves and the inclusion of dark molasses.
I’ve added 160 grams (1/2 cup) of molasses, this may sound like a lot and you may be worried but trust me it is the perfect amount. It gives this gingerbread a dark rich flavour and one taste will convince you.
Michael (Mr. Bake Then Eat) claims these are the best thing I have ever baked! It must be true because he has devoured them, and requested more. Which is unusual for him, he is more of a savoury guy, but he has found these hard to resist.
To frost these I have made a ginger cream cheese frosting. To flavour it I used 3 tablespoons of ginger syrup. I got my ginger syrup from a jar of stem ginger in syrup and I also added a teaspoon of ground ginger to boost the flavour even more.
I hope you get a chance to make these gingerbread cupcakes with ginger cream cheese frosting because you won’t regret it.
I also hope everyone has a wonderful and amazing Merry Christmas and that Santa is kind to each and every one of you 😉
*Just a quick note for UK readers*
Cream cheese frosting can be a real nightmare sometimes for us Brits. The cream cheese in the UK has a lot more water in it then the cream cheese you can buy in the US. I have tried every brand in the UK and the same problem always arises, a runny gooey mess.
I have had a few emails asking how I have gotten around this issue as I have featured cream cheese frosting in a few recipes. Well this is how I got around the water filled UK cream cheese frosting issue.
An idea struck me a few years ago – take the water out! Well as much as I could. With each 240 gram pack I empty it into a piece of very fine muslin twist it all up and give it a good squeeze. You’ll be surprised how much water comes out of it. I usually manage to squeeze 10 to 15 grams of water out of it.
By doing this every time I get a thick and creamy cream cheese frosting that doesn’t go all runny and gloopy. For more detail check out the the recipe instructions, below!
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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 240 grams Plain flour (All Purpose, (2 cups))
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 160 grams dark molasses or black treacle ((1/2 cup))
- 100 grams Unsalted butter ((1/2 cup))
- 100 grams light brown sugar ((1/2 cup lightly packed))
- 1 large Egg
- 120 millitres milk ((1/2 cup))
For the frosting
- 55 grams unsalted butter - soft ((1/4 cup))
- 290 grams Icing sugar (Confectioners sugar - sieved, (2 cups))
- 3 tablespoons ginger syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 240 grams full fat cream cheese - just softened ((8 ounces))
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 4 and get a 12 hole muffin pan out and place liners in it.
- In a large mixing bowl place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices in together and mix until everything is well combined.
- In a medium sized saucepan put your molasses, butter and sugar in together and over a medium heat gently stir until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Be careful to not allow the mixture to boil.
- Once this is done take the mixture off the heat and allow it to cool down for a few minutes.
- Crack and lightly whisk your egg in a small bowl / cup and pour it into the bowl with the flour and spices in it.
- Then pour in you slightly cooled melted butter, sugar and molasses mix then pour in your milk.
- Gently mix until everything is combined. Be carful not to over mix your batter.
- I use an ice cream scoop to give my cupcakes a uniform size but if you don't have one fill up each cupcake case 2/3rds full and pop them in the oven for 18-20 minutes.
- Once a skewer comes out clean take them out of the oven but keep them in their pan for 5 minutes.
- Then take them out of the pan and place them on a wire rack to fully cool down.
For the frosting
- Beat your butter till it is very light and fluffy.
- Add in the icing sugar and mix till very well combined. The icing will become very thick but this is fine. Add in the ginger syrup and the ground ginger and mix again.
- If you are using cream cheese bought in the UK it has a lot of water in it and it needs to be drained a little otherwise it will turn your frosting into a gloopy mess.
- I used a bit of very fine muslin, I placed my cream cheese in it tied it up and twisted it till no more water came out of it. My cream cheese, and I was using full fat Philadelphia lost 10 grams in weight once I had squeezed the water out of it. For some reason the cream cheese in the UK has a lot more water added to it then the American cream cheese and it is this excess water that will turn your frosting into gloop!
- Add in the cream cheese to the mixer and beat till it is well mixed in and smooth & creamy. About 2 minutes on a low to medium speed.
- Spoon, pipe, dip or spread the frosting on top of your cooled cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles if you want.
- These cupcakes need to be kept in the fridge because of the cream cheese in the frosting. Bring them back up to room temperature before serving. These cupcakes will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Oh I love these cupcakes! These would always be at the top of my list.
Hi Maureen, thank you 😀 Cupcakes are great! Merry Christmas to you and your family 😀
I am loving all the sweets this holiday season. And let’s be honest.. I can’t resist a delicious cupcake! Happy holidays! Have a great one and eat lots of cookies! 🙂
Hi Pamela, thank you 😀 There have been some fab treats around this season. Merry Christmas to you and your family 😀
These cupcakes look incredible and those gingerbread sprinkles are so adorable! Love gingerbread anything and it sounds amazing with the ginger cream cheese frosting! Merry merry Christmas to you and your family, Emma!
Hi Kelly thank you so much and Merry Christmas to you and your family 😀
These are so beautiful – great tip about the cream cheese too 🙂
Hi Natalie, thank you glad you liked the tip 😀 Merry Christmas!
So adorable and festive! I really love those X’mas sprinkles.
Hi Angie thank you 😀 Merry Christmas!
Beautiful cupcakes! I love the addition of the little gingerbread men on top! 🙂
Hi Tiffany thank you so much 😀 Merry Christmas!
It must be Christmas cupcake week…great minds think alike! 🙂 Where did you find those cute gingerbread sprinkles? These cupcakes are perfect for Christmas, from the moist spice cake to the creamy ginger frosting. Delicious!
Hope you and Mr. Bake Then Eat have a very Merry Christmas!!
Hi Brianna, thank you great minds do think alike 😀 The big gingerbread men are from Wilton the little ones were from PME baking. Merry Christmas to you and yours 😀