Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
4.74 from 148 votes
Fluffy and super-moist gingerbread spiced cupcakes with rich, cinnamon cream cheese frosting! These easy to make, crowd-pleasing cupcakes make a show-stopping holiday dessert!
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 20 minutesminutes
0 minutesminutes
Total Time: 35 minutesminutes
Servings:12servings
Ingredients
1 ½cupsflour
½teaspoonsbaking soda
2teaspoonsground ginger
2 ½teaspoonscinnamon
¼heaping teaspoonnutmeg
¼teaspoonground cloves
½teaspoonsalt
½cupbutter, softened
½cupbrown sugar
2eggs, at room temperature
½cupmolasses
½cupmilk, at room temperature
1teaspoonvanilla
Frosting**
4cupspowdered sugar
4ouncescream cheese, softened
1tablespooncinnamon
½teaspoonvanilla
2-4tablespoonsheavy cream, as needed
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.
In another, large bowl cream together butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add molasses, milk, eggs and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Gradually stir in flour mixture until just combined (don't over-mix at this part).
Divide batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake about 19-22 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the muffin tins for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a container with a lid to cool completely (this is the secret to keeping them super-moist!).
Prepare the Frosting
When cupcakes are completely cooled, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Add vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth.
Gradually mix in powdered sugar. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of heavy cream as needed to thin the frosting to a spreadable consistency.
Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes (see note). Store in airtight container.
Notes
Piping the frosting: If you would like to pipe the cupcake frosting like I have done in the photos, you'll want to double the frosting recipe and use a wide piping tip. Legacy recipe: This recipe has been re-tested and re-published with some updates and changes to improve upon the original. This recipe is improved and better than ever! However, if you are in search of the original "legacy" recipe, please use the contact form to submit a request to have it sent to you.