Gingerbread Cupcakes

By: RYLEE MCDANIELS
Staff Writer

These gingerbread cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat for the Holidays! Each moist gingerbread cake is topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and adorned with a mini homemade gingerbread cookie. They’re festive, adorable, and taste so delicious.

Ingredients:

Gingerbread Cookies:

• 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 heaping tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup unsulfured molasses 
• 1 large egg 
• 12 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ light brown sugar.

Royal Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp meringue powder
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Gingerbread Cupcakes

• 1 ½ + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup Unsulfured molasses
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp.
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz Philadelphia full fat cream cheese, room temp
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Gingerbread Cookies

1. Mix together all of your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt) and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, lightly beat together the molasses and egg. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Mix in your molasses mixture until smooth and then gradually mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Split the dough in half. Roll out each half on two separate sheets of parchment paper that have been lightly floured. Roll to 1/4 inch thick. Lightly flour your rolling pin if the dough is sticking.
6. Stack the rolled out sheets of dough and place on a large baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the cupcakes.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with 2 cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices) and set aside.
3. In a measuring g;ass, mix together the buttermilk and molasses. Set aside.
4. With an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.
6. Alternatively mix in half of the dry ingredients, then the entire milk/molasses mixture, then the rest of the dry ingredients.
7. Evenly distribute your batter among the 12 cups, filling them 3/4 of the way. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
8. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
9. While the cupcakes cool, check on the cookie dough. If it’s firm to the dough, it’s ready. If it’s still too soft it will need to continue to chill.
10. When ready, stamp out your cookies and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until they’re evenly darkened.

Royal Icing:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Mix in 1 tablespoons of milk at a time until you reach the glue-like consistency.
2. Place your icing into a piping bag fitted with a small piping tip to decorate your cookies. The icing will harden when it’s completely dry.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Make sure they’re both room temperature so you get a smooth frosting.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until fully combined.
3. Mix in the vanilla and salt.
4. Fill your piping bag fitted with a large French tip and decorate your cupcakes in a swirl motion. Top with your cooled and set gingerbread cookies.
5. Keep them in the fridge if you need to store them for more than a couple hours and eat at room temperature. Enjoy!