Ask anyone who loves gingerbread, and they’ll tell you that there’s nothing quite like a freshly baked gingerbread man. But what happens when you take that same delicious flavor and turn it into a cupcake? Magic, that’s what. These gingerbread man cupcakes with gingerbread buttercream frosting are the perfect example of why gingerbread is one of the most popular holiday flavors. Keep reading to find out what makes them so good.
Gingerbread Man Cupcakes with Gingerbread Buttercream Frosting
The key to these cupcakes is in the spices. A combination of ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves gives these cupcakes their characteristic flavor. And of course, no gingerbread recipe would be complete without molasses. This ingredient not only adds flavor but also helps to keep these cupcakes moist and tender.
But the real star of the show is the gingerbread buttercream frosting. It’s made with just a few simple ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, molasses, and ground ginger.
But don’t let its simplicity fool you; this frosting is incredibly flavorful and will have you licking your spoon (or even better, your finger) long after you’re done decorating the cupcakes.
Gingerbread Cupcakes Ingredients
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
5 tablespoons softened butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup molasses
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Gingerbread Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
1 cup Butter
1 tablespoon Molasses
1/3 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar
Decoration
12 gingerbread men cookies
White frosting tube
How to make the Gingerbread Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a standard 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Whisk until combined.
In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer until the consistency is smooth and fluffy.
Add molasses and mix until combined.
Add the milk, and the eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
Then add the dry mixture to the bowl slowly as you mix. Mix until fully combined.
Fill each liner about â…” way and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack while making the frosting.
How To make the Gingerbread Buttercream Frosting
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
Add the molasses, ground ginger, and cocoa powder. Mix until combined. While mixing on medium speed, slowly add the powdered sugar until completely combined.
Add frosting to a piping bag.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and add gingerbread man head, arms, and legs to the cupcake.
With a small white frosting pen/tube add details to the gingerbread man’s body and face.
These gingerbread man cupcakes with gingerbread buttercream frosting are the perfect example of why gingerbread is one of the most popular holiday flavors. The combination of spices, molasses, and gingerbread buttercream frosting makes these cupcakes irresistible. So next time you’re in the mood for something festive (and delicious), give these cupcakes a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Gingerbread Man Cupcakes with Gingerbread Buttercream Frosting Recipe- Print Now
Gingerbread Man Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12-cup cupcake pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 tablespoons softened butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Butter
- 1 tablespoon Molasses
- â…“ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 12 gingerbread men cookies
- White frosting tube
Instructions
To make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a standard 12 cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Whisk until combined.1 ½ cups flour½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon baking powder1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder½ teaspoon salt3 teaspoons ground ginger2 teaspoons cinnamon¼ teaspoon nutmeg½ teaspoon ground cloves
- In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer until the consistency is smooth and fluffy.5 tablespoons softened butter½ cup brown sugar
- Add molasses and mix until combined.½ cup molasses
- Add the milk, vanilla, and the eggs, mixing until smooth. Then add the dry mixture to the bowl slowly as you mix. Mix until fully combined.2 eggs½ cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla
- Fill each liner about â…” way and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack while making the frosting.
To make the frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the molasses, ground ginger, and cocoa powder. Mix until combined.1 cup Butter1 tablespoon Molasses1/3 teaspoon Ground Ginger1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- While mixing on medium speed, slowly add the powdered sugar until completely combined. Add frosting to a piping bag.4 cups powdered sugar
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and add gingerbread man head, arms, and legs to the cupcake.12 gingerbread men cookies
- With a small white frosting pen/tube add details to the gingerbread man’s body and face.White frosting tube
Equipment
If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.
Nutrition
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