Gingerbread Cupcakes with Gingerbread Frosting Recipe

Name: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Gingerbread Frosting Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients: Cupcakes; ½ C. Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening *can also use unsalted butter at room temperature.; ½ C. light brown sugar packed firmly in cup; 1 large egg, room temperature; ½ C. Grandma’s Molasses®; ½ C. whole milk, room temperature; 1 tsp. Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract; 1⅓ C. all-purpose flour; 1/4 tsp. Clabber Girl® Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp. Clabber Girl® Baking Soda; ½ tsp. kosher salt; 1½ tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Ginger; ½ tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Nutmeg; 1 tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Saigon Cinnamon; ⅛ tsp. Spice Islands® Allspice *can be omitted if you do not have it on-hand; Frosting; ½ C. butter unsalted, room temperature; ½ C. Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening; 4 C. powdered sugar; ¼ C. milk; 1 Tbsp. Grandma’s® Molasses; ¼ tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Ginger

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Rating:

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[Total: 12 Average: 4.6]

These gingerbread cupcakes have a moist, soft crumb and a delicate flavor of molasses and spices. A sweet gingerbread frosting brightens the flavor of the cupcakes. If you’re a gingerbread lover, then this recipe is for you.

Recipe by Sizzling Eats

Ingredients

Cupcakes

½ C. Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening *can also use unsalted butter at room temperature.
½ C. light brown sugar packed firmly in cup
1 large egg, room temperature
½ C. Grandma’s Molasses®
½ C. whole milk, room temperature
1 tsp. Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
1⅓ C. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. Clabber Girl® Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Clabber Girl® Baking Soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1½ tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Ginger
½ tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Saigon Cinnamon
⅛ tsp. Spice Islands® Allspice *can be omitted if you do not have it on-hand

Frosting

½ C. butter unsalted, room temperature
½ C. Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
4 C. powdered sugar
¼ C. milk
1 Tbsp. Grandma’s® Molasses
¼ tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Ginger

Directions

Cupcakes
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-count cupcake pan with liners; set aside.

2.In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the shortening and brown sugar; beat on medium speed until fluffy; about one minute. Do not overmix.

3.Add the extract, molasses, egg, and milk. Mix for 30 seconds then scrape down the stand mixer bowl with a rubber spatula and mix an additional 30 seconds. The mixture will look a little bumpy at first but will even out once the dry ingredients are added.

4.Reduce the stand mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Scrape down the bowl sides to mix all the batter.

5.Scoop batter into lined cupcake pan and fill each about ¾ of the way. This recipe makes exactly 12 standard cupcakes.

6.Bake cupcakes for 20-23 minutes. A toothpick or tester inserted into the center of a cupcake will come out clean once removed.

7.Allow cupcakes to cool for at least one hour before frosting.

Frosting
1.Add room temperature butter, shortening, ginger, and molasses to a stand mixer; mix on medium-low speed until creamy.

2.Slowly add the powdered sugar and reduce the stand mixer speed to low. Once the ingredients start to incorporate, add the milk, and increase the speed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides. The frosting will be thick and moist. If it is too dry add a tablespoon more of milk.

3.Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with frosting and ice cooled cupcakes. Pipe cupcakes, and then sprinkle each with gold sanding sugar. Garnish each cupcake with a topper and enjoy!

Tips

HOW TO MAKE THE GINGERBREAD FROSTING

Making gingerbread frosting is easier than you think! Typically, we use a cream cheese buttercream recipe, but adding subtle flavors of ginger and molasses sounded appealing for these holiday cupcakes. The trick is you only need a little bit of molasses and ginger flavoring to not overpower the buttercream. I used both room temperature butter and shortening in this frosting so that it would pipe well and get those perfectly crusted outer edges on the swirls.

Made in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, the end result was a sweet, rich frosting that had a subtle, warm taste of molasses, and ginger. This recipe adequately piped twisty swirls on 12 cupcakes. Consider doubling it for larger cupcake quantities.

STORING

Since these are made with fresh dairy ingredients like butter and milk they do need to be refrigerated. Store gingerbread cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days for best flavor and texture.

These can also be frozen with or without frosting. To freeze, place frosted cupcakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid. Once solid, wrap each with plastic wrap and store in an airtight, freezer-safe container.