Easy gingerbread cupcakes are an adaptation of a classic pound cake recipe. Complete with molasses and plenty of ginger to make for a festive treat!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Pound Cake
For this batter, you will need:
- Butter - unsalted and softened to room temperature.
- Sugar - either superfine granulated or caster sugar will work in this recipe.
- Molasses or dark treacle - this will give the gingerbread cake the classic dark colour and molassesy flavour.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Soured milk or buttermilk - you could also use plain yogurt as a substitute.
- Flour - either plain (in the UK) or all-purpose (in the US) can be used in equal measures in this recipe.
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Frosting - I recommend using cinnamon buttercream with the gingerbread cupcakes.
Making Gingerbread Cupcakes
This is a classic pound cake batter. Simply cream together the butter and sugar before adding the eggs one at a time.
Next, add the molasses and vanilla, beating to combine. Follow this with the soured milk.
Once all of your wet ingredients are blended, sift your dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir well with a spatula. You want to avoid overbeating, or you will end up with air pockets in your finished cake. But, you also want to avoid leaving any pockets of unmixed flour.
Dollop the batter evenly across a 12-hole lined cupcake tin and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes, checking for a toothpick inserted in the centre of a middle cupcake to come out clean.
Alternative Ways to Bake
This recipe for gingerbread cupcakes is essentially a gingerbread pound cake. The same recipe can be made in various forms.
Try a gingerbread cake using either a standard size loaf tin or an 8" round cake tin.
Make a gingerbread bundt cake. The recipe here will fill a small bundt cake pan. For a classic large bundt, double the recipe and prepare as described.
The baking times will vary dependent on the pan used, but in general a full size cake (if doubling the quantities) will take about 1 hour.
Whatever the variety, once the spiced cakes are baked, turn out and cool on a wire rack. Then frost and serve!
FAQs for Gingerbread Cupcakes
My gingerbread pound cake cupcakes will keep well for about 4 days at room temperature. They are best stored covered to prevent drying out.
Yes, you can freeze gingerbread cupcakes. Allow to cool first and then place in a ziploc bag to freeze for up to 3 months. These cakes can be frozen before or after decoration if using buttercream. Either way, allow the cakes to return to room temperature on the counter before consuming.
So for frosting, I'd recommend my cinnamon buttercream to pair with gingerbread cupcakes. One quantity of the recipe should be enough to give a nice bit of spiced frosting to a dozen cupcakes. Alternatively, you can't go wrong with traditional vanilla buttercream or a cream cheese frosting (with or without added spice). If you're a ginger lover, try adding a bit of ground ginger to the mix.
If you like these cupcakes, you might be interested in some more festive spiced inspiration:
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup superfine granulated sugar or caster sugar
- ¼ cup molasses or dark treacle
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups all purpose flour or plain flour
- 1½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk or soured milk
- 1 quantity cinnamon buttercream recipe here
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175C/155C Fan) and line a 12-hole cupcake tray.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and then the molasses and vanilla, mixing well.
- Add the buttermilk and beat to combine.
- Then, sift the dry ingredients - the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon - into the mixing bowl of wet ingredients. Using a spatula stir well until just combined, making sure there are no unmixed patches of flour.
- Spoon into the lined cupcake tray and bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a middle cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack before frosting with cinnamon buttercream.
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