Gingerbread Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Candied Cranberries

Easy to make, moist and delicious gingerbread cupcakes with buttercream icing. Perfect for your holiday parties. 

The “most wonderful time of the year” seems to be moving at warp speed and I am trying to enjoy every minute of the holiday season. Where does the time go? I’ve been busy watching Christmas movies, White Christmas is a favorite, baking cookies and making homemade candy. This week I made some scrumptious gingerbread cupcakes with buttercream frosting and I think they would be the perfect cupcakes for holiday parties, a Christmas day dessert buffet and of course to give away.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

If you like gingerbread cookies and gingerbread cake then you will love these fluffy gingerbread cupcakes!

What You Need for Gingerbread Cupcakes

• 2/12 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 (1 stick) cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• Candied Cranberries

How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners, and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside for later.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the brown sugar until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Then beat in the eggs.
• Fill the cupcake papers 3/4 full with cupcake batter, making sure that the batter is divided evenly.
• Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven et cupcakes cool a few minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating with your choice of frosting.

Variations

• Instead of buttercream frosting use Cinnamon cream cheese frosting, tangy cream cheese frosting or brown butter frosting. Every one is delicious on these festive gingerbread cupcakes.
• Add a mini gingerbread man cookie to the top of the cupcake or a sprinkle of colored sugar, holiday sprinkles or add candied cranberries. 
• Make mini cupcakes instead of full size cupcakes.

How to Store Gingerbread Cupcakes

Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. Cupcakes can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze the cupcakes unfrosted.

Need more Christmas treat recipes? Try Cranberry Swirl Bundt Cake, Viennese Whirls Cookies, Cranberry Cheesecake Bars, Homemade Pecan Caramels and Homemade Caramel Corn.

Until Next Time

Have you been baking?

Do you have a favorite recipe that you like to make over the holidays?

Happy holidays and thank you for spending part of your day with me. I hope that you enjoyed these this gingerbread cupcake recipe.

You can also keep up with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. And last but not least, if you like Pinecones & Acorns share it with a friend!

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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

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Ingredients

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2/12 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup boiling water

2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 (1 stick) cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup unsulphured molasses

Ingredients for Frosting

11/2 cups of butter(3 sticks) at room temperature

41/2 cups powdered sugar

3–4 tablespoons heavy cream

11/2 teaspoons vanilla bean extract

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Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners, and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside for later.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the brown sugar until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Then beat in the eggs.

Fill the cupcake papers 3/4 full with cupcake batter, making sure that the batter is divided evenly.

Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove cupcakes from the oven et cupcakes cool a few minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating with your choice of frosting.

Instructions for Buttercream Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment whip the butter for 7-8 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently and be sure to scrape the bottom as well.

Turn the electric mixer on low speed then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. Mix on low until everything is incorporated and then increase to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy.

Place buttercream frosting in a piping bag fitted with the piping tip that you like and pipe a a design of your choosing on the cupcakes, then decorate and serve.

Notes

Recipe from Martha Stewart

• Author: Elizabeth