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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 118 votes
cupcake with cinnamon frosting and gingerbread man cupcake topper
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 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings:12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ heaping teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ½ cup milk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting**

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-4 tablespoons heavy 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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 249 kcal, Carbohydrates: 51 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 43 mg, Sodium: 163 mg, Potassium: 117 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 42 g, Vitamin A: 177 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 51 mg, Iron: 1 mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Tiffany