These Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect holiday dessert - tender cupcakes with spicy ginger and the creamiest buttercream frosting!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Canadian, Christmas, Holiday, North American, Thanksgiving
Keyword Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare 1-2 cupcake pans with paper liners (to make 20-24 cupcakes).
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer) beat the butter on medium high speed until light and fluffy.
Add the brown sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes.
Beat in the molasses, scraping down the sides to incorporate completely.
Beat the eggs one at a time, and beat in the fresh ginger and lemon juice.
Add the flour, spices and salt, and beat in just until combined.
Combine the baking soda and boiling water and sir together, drizzling the water mixture into the cake batter as the mixer runs on low speed.
Continue beating in the boiling water mixture until the cupcake batter is smooth and everything is combined well.
Portion the batter between the prepared 20-24 cupcake cups, filling them only about 2/3 full.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool in their pans for about 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
Whip the butter on high speed in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) using the paddle attachment until the butter is pale and fluffy.
Add the cream cheese and continue whipping (scrape down the sides of the bowl) until combined.
Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on medium speed until combined, and add the vanilla as well.
Mix the frosting on medium speed until it's smooth and fluffy.
Assembly:
Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip (or the tip of your choice).
Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes once they're cooled completely to room temperature in a circular swirl motion and top each cupcake with some chopped candied ginger (optional).
Notes
These cupcakes can be made a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.