Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting bring a nostalgic, classic taste to the dessert table this holiday season. Moist, dense, delicious and beautiful to display, they are sure to be a welcomed treat for all.
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I’m so happy to see gingerbread in the spotlight again. I mean, Gingerbread Cookies have stolen the show for pretty much forever, but I wanted to see what else I could make with the flavor of gingerbread that would be equally as delicious.
Obviously, it had to be Gingerbread Cupcakes. Everyone loves cupcakes.
So, what makes these Gingerbread Cupcakes so special?
Well, to begin, I did quite a bit of research on exactly what combination of spices make up gingerbread. Then, I dug up my tried and true basic cupcake recipe. This recipe results in a dense, yet moist, cupcake every time.
The next question – what kind of frosting does one top the most perfect Gingerbread Cupcakes with?
I ended up going with a Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream frosting, simply because I didn’t have cream cheese. Sometimes I plan my recipes out ahead of time, and sometimes it’s all on the fly.
I may get around to whipping up a Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting someday, but for now, the combination of Gingerbread Cupcakes and Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is where it’s at.
And, it’s dangerous to mess with a good thing.
Why This Recipe Works
- These cupcakes bring the classic taste of gingerbread back to the holiday dessert table. It’s the perfect dessert for adults and children.
- Everyone loves cupcakes – especially a dense, moist cupcake topped with ribbons of sweet and cinnamon-y frosting!
- It’s a fairly simple recipe. Homemade might take a little longer than a boxed cake mix, but the end result is worth the extra few minutes of work.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (at room temperature)
Vanilla Cinnamon Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
The entire recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
Set the butter for the cupcakes and frosting, egg, and milk out at least an hour ahead of time to come to room temperature.
When you are ready to being baking, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. These gingerbread cupcake liners or these red polka dot ones add a cute, festive touch.
Create!
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Add the all purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and dark brown sugar until well blended and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the egg, then the molasses and blend until just combined. It’s not going to look very pretty and will likely look a little clumpy at this point.
Slowly add the milk and then gradually add the flour mixture until evenly blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Do not over-mix.
Fill the cupcake liners 2/3rds of the way full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back to touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Try not open the oven too early.
Set aside to cool.
Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until somewhat whipped.
Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.
To avoid a big powdery mess, very gradually add the powdered sugar until it’s fully blended and smooth.
Present!
Allow the cupcakes to fully cool before frosting.
You can apply the frosting to the cupcakes with a butter knife or small spatula, or fancy things up a bit and use a piping bag and tip.
For reference, the piping tip that I used to apply the buttercream in the photos is a Wilton 2D.
Sprinkle on some additional cinnamon and/or festive sprinkles, if desired.
Tips and Techniques
- Set both butters, egg, and milk out at least an hour before baking to allow them to come to room temperature.
- Make your cupcakes even more festive by using cute cupcake liners like these gingerbread-themed liners or red polka dot liners.
- For reference, the piping tip used in the photos is a Wilton 2D.
How to Store
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 7 days. I like this cake pan to store cupcakes in because it has a raised lid to help prevent the frosting from getting ruined.
- You can freeze un-frosted cupcakes in plastic freezer bags. For best results, consume within 4-6 months.
- The frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Why Did My Cupcakes Sink In The Middle?
I have gotten multiple comments about cupcakes sinking in the center. This recipe has been tested multiple times with great results and no sinking, but there are some factors that can lead to sinking. To avoid sinking in the center of your cupcakes:
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven temperature is exactly what it is set to. From personal experience, my oven has ran 50°F from where it’s been set at times.
- Use fresh, unexpired ingredients especially the baking soda.
- Ensure that the butter and egg are at room temperature so that they incorporate evenly into the batter.
- Do not over-mix the batter.
- Do not overfill the cupcake liners.
- Do not open the oven too soon.
- Be aware that if substitutions are made, or directions are not followed exactly, results may vary.
More Gingerbread Recipes
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If you try this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a comment and star rating. Thanks!
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (oom temperature)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed, NOT blackstrap)
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup whole milk (at room temperature)
Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Add the all purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well. Set aside.1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and dark brown sugar until well blended and creamy, about 2 minutes.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- Add the egg, then the molasses and blend until just combined. It's not going to look very pretty and will likely look a little clumpy at this point.1 egg, 1/2 cup molasses
- Slowly add the milk and then gradually add the flour mixture until evenly blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Do not over-mix.1/2 cup whole milk
- Fill the cupcake liners 2/3rds of the way full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back to touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Try not open the oven too early.
- Set aside to cool.
Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until somewhat whipped.1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Very gradually add the powdered sugar until it's fully blended and smooth.2 cups powdered sugar
- Allow the cupcakes to fully cool before frosting.
- You can apply the frosting to the cupcakes with a butter knife or small spatula, or fancy things up a bit and use a piping bag and tip.
- Sprinkle on some additional cinnamon and/or festive sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
- Set both butters, egg, and milk out at least an hour before baking to allow them to come to room temperature.
- Make your cupcakes even more festive by using cute cupcake liners like these gingerbread-themed liners or red polka dot liners.
- For reference, the piping tip used in the photos is a Wilton 2D.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 7 days. I like this cake pan to store cupcakes in because it has a raised lid to help prevent the frosting from getting ruined.
- You can freeze un-frosted cupcakes in plastic freezer bags. For best results, consume within 4-6 months.
- The frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on November 18, 2018. It was updated with new images, step-by-step instructions, tips, techniques, and FAQ’s in October 2025.
