Gingerbread Cupcakes

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Sweet and spicy cupcakes full of all of your favorite gingerbread flavors and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

You will love this Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe!

My favorite blend of gingerbread spices started when I first made my gingerbread cut out cookies. I think that gingerbread is one of the best seasonal flavors out there, and when it comes to spices, this is not the place to skimp on intensity.

I like to use a blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper (yes, you read that right) and molasses round out the intense flavor we all know and love about gingerbread-based treats.

My favorite way to intensify the flavor? Blend these spices with the butter/sugar for maximum infusion of spice. Don’t miss out on that step!

Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe Ingredients

These are the same ingredients you’ll find in my gingerbread cake. You’ll need:

all purpose flour
ground ginger
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
ground cloves
ground allspice
salt
black pepper
baking powder
baking soda
unsalted butter
light brown sugar
egg
molasses
milk

Don’t forget the cream cheese frosting! For that, you’ll need:

cream cheese
unsalted butter
powdered sugar
salt

How to make Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

STEP #1

After preheating the oven and lining your cupcake pan, start by whisking together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, then set this mixture aside.

STEP #2

Next, cream the butter, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and allow it to incorporate. Add the molasses and beat again on medium speed until everything is incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

STEP #3

Next, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture and mix until smooth.

STEP #4

Spoon the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, then bake. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Gingerbread Cupcake Variations

You have a lot of options for frosting here!

Stick with your classic cream cheese, or add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of ground ginger to spice it up.

Consider using the maple cinnamon cream cheese frosting from this pumpkin cake.

This brown butter cream cheese frosting is unreal and would make a lovely complement.

This gingerbread cake pairs with molasses buttercream, which would take the gingerbread flavor in these cupcakes over the top in the most delicious way possible.

How to store Ginger Bread Cupcakes

Could we not have a space between “ginger” and “bread” here?

Store these cupcakes at room temperature. If you find that the frosting is getting too soft or weepy, you can store them in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Thanks for helping me continue bringing this series of basic/simple recipes. I hope this recipe for gingerbread cupcakes makes your holiday cupcake lineup this year!