Spiced Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting bring a nostalgic, classic taste to the dessert table this holiday season! Moist, dense, and beautiful to display, they are sure to be a welcomed treat!
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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 gives me 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 might 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.
How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes
Prep!
Set the butter, egg, and milk out at least an hour ahead of time to come to room temperature.
When you are ready to being baking your Gingerbread Cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. I just love these gingerbread cupcake liners, or these red polka dot ones similar to what I used in the photos.
Create!
Add the all purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and dark brown sugar until well incorporated.
Add the egg, then the molasses and blend until combined.
Slowly add the milk and then gradually add the flour mixture until evenly blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary.
Fill the cupcake wells 2/3rds of the way full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the Gingerbread Cupcakes spring back to touch.
You can also use a toothpick in the center of one to make sure it comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
How to Make Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Prep!
Set the butter out at least an hour ahead of time to come to room temperature.
You can set the butter out for the icing at the same time you set the ingredients out for the cupcakes.
Create!
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 Gingerbread Cupcakes to fully cool before frosting.
You can apply the Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting to the Gingerbread 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 enjoy!
Tips and Techniques for the Best Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Set the butter, egg, and milk out at least an hour before baking to allow them to come to room temperature. If frosting the Gingerbread Cupcakes immediately after baking, go ahead and set the butter out for the Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream at the same time.
- Make your Gingerbread Cupcakes even more festive by using cute cupcake liners like these gingerbread-themed liners or red polka dot liners!
- You may need to double the recipe for the Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting when using a piping bag and tip for more elaborate frosting designs, like those pictured for this recipe.
- For reference, the piping tip that I used for the photos in this recipe is a Wilton 2D.
How to Store Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Store Gingerbread Cupcakes in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use 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 Gingerbread Cupcakes in plastic freezer bags. For best results, use within 4-6 months.
- The Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQ’s
- What gives gingerbread it’s flavor? A combination of spices give gingerbread it’s signature flavor. While the spices in different recipes may vary, all include ginger.
More Cupcake Recipes to Try
These Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes are also great for the holidays as well as Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes.
Once spring rolls around, Mini Lemon Cupcakes are perfect for Easter, showers, and warmer weather entertaining.
Love this Gingerbread Cupcakes recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!
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 * at room temperature
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg * at room temperature
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup milk * at room temperature
Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter * at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Combine the all purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir well.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and dark brown sugar until blended.
- Add the egg, then the molasses and blend until combined.
- Slowly add the milk and then gradually add the flour mixture until evenly blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary.
- Fill the cupcake pan wells 2/3rds of the way full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back to touch. You can also use a toothpick in the center of one to make sure it comes out clean.
- Let cool.
Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until somewhat whipped.
- Mix in the cinnamon and vanilla extract and until evenly incorporated.
- Very gradually add the powdered sugar until it’s fully blended and smooth.
- Apply the Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting to the cooled Gingerbread Cupcakes with a butter knife, small spatula, or a piping bag and tip.
Notes
Tips and Techniques for the Best Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Set the butter, egg, and milk out at least an hour before baking to allow them to come to room temperature. If frosting the Gingerbread Cupcakes immediately after baking, go ahead and set the butter out for the Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream at the same time.
- Make your Gingerbread Cupcakes even more festive by using cute cupcake liners like these gingerbread-themed liners or red polka dot liners!
- You may need to double the recipe for the Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting when using a piping bag and tip for more elaborate frosting designs, like those pictured for this recipe.
- For reference, the piping tip that I used for the photos in this recipe is a Wilton 2D.
How to Store Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Store Gingerbread Cupcakes in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use 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 Gingerbread Cupcakes in plastic freezer bags. For best results, use within 4-6 months.
- The Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on November 18, 2018. It was updated with more thorough instructions, tips, techniques, and FAQ’s in December 2019.
