Description
Delight in the festive flavors of these Gingerbread Cupcakes topped with a creamy Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting. Perfectly spiced and moist, these cupcakes capture the essence of holiday baking, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cupcakes
- 195 g plain (all-purpose) flour (1 ½ cups / 6.9 oz)
- 25 g cornflour (cornstarch) (1 oz)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (100 g / 3.5 oz)
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened (½ cup / 1 stick / 4 oz)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup treacle (or molasses) (80 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk, room temperature (80 ml)
For the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup milk (250 ml)
- 3 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks / 1 cup / 8 oz)
- 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar (200 g / 7 oz)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Decorations of your choice – sprinkles, mini cookies, cachous
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare muffin tray: Preheat your oven to 180°C (320°F) or 160°C fan oven. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with large cupcake cases to get ready for baking.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sift together the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Mix them well and set this dry mixture aside.
- Beat butter and sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar together until the mixture is light and creamy, ensuring a smooth texture.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and treacle: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the butter-sugar blend, beating well after each addition. Then add vanilla extract and treacle, beating again to combine thoroughly.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add half of the sifted flour mixture and beat on a very low speed until almost combined. Then pour in the whole milk and mix just until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and gently fold in with a spatula, taking care not to overmix the batter.
- Fill cupcake cases and bake: Divide the batter equally among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Remove and let the cupcakes rest; they will continue cooking slightly with residual heat.
- Cool cupcakes: Transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before applying frosting.
- Prepare cinnamon buttercream – thicken paste: While cupcakes bake, whisk together the milk, flour, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens into a very thick paste.
- Cool the paste: Pour the thickened paste into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool to room temperature, optionally refrigerating briefly to speed the process but ensuring it returns to room temperature before use.
- Beat butter and sugar for frosting: Once the paste is cool, beat the softened butter and caster sugar in a bowl for about 5 minutes until very creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Incorporate cinnamon and salt: Add ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt to the butter-sugar mixture and beat to combine.
- Add thickened paste to buttercream: Gradually add the cooled thickened paste to the buttercream, one large spoonful at a time, beating well between additions. Continue beating for 5-7 minutes until the frosting achieves a fluffy, almost whipped cream consistency. If it appears to separate initially, persist with beating.
- Pipe and decorate: Transfer the cinnamon buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe generously onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate as desired with sprinkles, mini gingerbread cookies, or cachous.
Notes
- Ensure all dairy ingredients and eggs are at room temperature for smooth batter and frosting consistency.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once the flour is added, to keep the cupcakes tender.
- The cupcakes will continue cooking slightly after removal from the oven due to residual heat; avoid overbaking.
- Covering the thickened milk paste closely with plastic wrap prevents an unwanted skin, ensuring smooth buttercream texture.
- If the frosting looks separated at first, keep beating as it will come together with time.
- Use an ice cream or cookie scoop to portion batter evenly and keep cupcakes uniform in size.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western / American
