Gingerbread Cupcakes or Ginger Cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing, a delicious festive dessert that is incredibly easy to make, but so spectacular, that all your guests will be asking for seconds. The gingerbread sponge is moist and light, and the icing is smooth, and decadent. What a great Christmas dessert!
If there is one flavour that best describes Christmas, that is gingerbread, without a shadow of a doubt. Whether we think of gingerbread men, gingerbread cake, gingerbread hot chocolate or any other festive drinks with a gingerbread touch, or indeed different other baked goods, it is this very flavour that fills our kitchens with the wonderful aroma of Christmas. For me, the festive season would never be the same without the homemade baking and cooking.
Gingerbread men are super fun to bake with the kids, but these cupcakes are as easy to make, and trust me, as popular with the little ones too. The icing might be the first one to be licked and devoured, but the gingerbread sponge is absolutely amazing too. It's surprisingly light, given that cupcakes are usually rich and dense, and it is simply wonderful.
You can enjoy them without icing, just as delicious gingerbread muffins, especially that their moist texture is very similar to the one of a muffin. The icing can be adapted to your own taste buds - I love the simple vanilla flavour, but you can add a pinch of cinnamon and spices too, to make it even more festive.
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Ingredients needed
- butter -unsalted, at room temperature
- light brown sugar
- golden syrup - or honey
- black treacle -or molasses
- eggs
- milk - full-fat is the best
- self-raising flour
- ground ginger
- mixed spices -or pumpkin pie spices
- icing sugar - confectioners' sugar, well sifted to avoid lumps
- vanilla extract - or any other extract of your choice
Step-by-step photos and instructions
The sponges
As with the popular gingerbread men, the gorgeous gingerbread flavour comes from the combo of brown sugar, syrup/treacle, butter and spices, and what a winning combo.
- in a pan set over a low heat, add the cubed butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and black treacle
- allow the butter to melt, and mix well to get a smooth mixture
- remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly
- in a large bowl, sift the flour and add the spices
- separately, beat the eggs, add the milk and pour it over butter mixture, and give it a good mix
- add the mixture to the bowl of flour and spices, and mix everything well to get a smooth batter
- line a muffin/cupcake tin with paper cases, and divide the mixture between each case
- bake at 190 degrees Celsius (375 Fahrenheit) for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
The icing
Whenever I make icing I prefer to use the food processor, it's less messy, and the icing sugar doesn't end up everywhere on my working surface. By all means, the good old hand mixture does a perfectly good job too, so do use it if you don't have a food processor.
- in a food processor, add the icing sugar and soft butter, and blitz until smooth
- add the vanilla extract and milk, and blitz again
And voila! The best icing sugar that you can possibly get- it can't get simpler than that, or more delicious! It really can't be compared to the store-bought one, the flavour is absolutely amazing!
Expert tips
There is little that could go wrong with these cupcakes - and I am fairly confident that even a beginner in the kitchen could nail them. They really are very easy to make.
One obvious (perhaps) tip would be to make sure that the cupcakes are proper cooled down before adding the icing - otherwise the warm sponge will melt the icing and make a rather big mess.
There is no need to store the cupcakes in the fridge, they can be stored at room temperature and keep well for at least 4-5 days without the sponge becoming dry or the icing changing its texture. Which means that they can be made in advance, no need to have them freshly baked on the day of your party or celebration.
I adapted this recipe from The Baking Explorer - Gingerbread Cupcakes, and added my own touch to them. It's a simple, but fabulous recipe that will go down a treat with the whole family - we all loved them, and we will definitely have them again soon.
If you’ve liked my GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the sponges
- 100 g butter
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 125 golden syrup ( or honey)
- 25 g black treacle (or molasses)
- 2 eggs
- 125 ml milk
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon mixed spices (or pumpkin pie spices)
For the icing
- 200 g butter, soften
- 400 g icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the sponges, add the butter cut into cubes to a pan set over a low heat.
- Add the syrup, treacle and brown sugar, and mix gently until the butter melts and we get a smooth mixture.
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the ginger and spices.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well, add the milk, and mix again.
- Pour the egg mixture over the cooled butter mixture, and mix.
- Combine the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and give it a good stir for the batter to be fully incorporated.
- Line a muffin/cupcake tin with paper cases, and divide the mixture evenly.
- Bake at 190 degrees Celsius (375 Fahrenheit) for 20-25 minutes until the cupcakes are set, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool completely.
- To make the icing, add the butter and icing sugar to a food processor, and blitz.
- Add the vanilla extract and milk, and blitz again to get a smooth paste.
- Use a piping bag with the nozzle of your choice to pipe out the icing.
- Decorate with sprinkles - optional.
Video
Notes
- Click on the US Customary link to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
- The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
- There is little that could go wrong with these cupcakes - and I am fairly confident that even a beginner in the kitchen could nail them. They really are very easy to make.
- One obvious (perhaps) tip would be to make sure that the cupcakes are proper cooled down before adding the icing - otherwise the warm sponge will melt the icing and make a rather big mess.
- There is no need to store the cupcakes in the fridge, they can be stored at room temperature and keep well for at least 4-5 days without the sponge becoming dry or the icing changing its texture. Which means that they can be made in advance, no need to have them freshly baked on the day of your party or celebration.
Nutrition
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