These gingerbread cupcakes are fun, festive, and perfect for the holiday season! It’s a moist and tender gingerbread flavored cupcake that is topped with a delicious white chocolate buttercream that everyone will go crazy over.
Cupcakes are some of the most simple and tasty things to make. A few of my tried and true favorites are these red velvet, banana, and pineapple cupcakes!
Gingerbread Cupcakes
If you have never tried a gingerbread cupcake before then you are in for a real treat! These have the perfect subtle gingerbread flavor that tastes SOO GOOD. It’s mixed into a cupcake batter that bakes up so moist and tender. Like, melt in your mouth tender and delicious. I thought that they couldn’t get any better but then once I topped them off with this white chocolate buttercream… Well, it was game over. They disappeared off of my table so fast that I should have just doubled the recipe to start with!
These cupcakes are the kind that keeps everyone coming back for me. You just can’t stop at one! Not only are they super delicious but they only take an hour to make. And that includes the baking time. This makes them a great option to whip up just before a party or a get-together. In fact, you can actually make a couple of different options by using a different frosting on top! Try using this chocolate buttercream or this delicious cream cheese frosting on top instead. They are all so good and don’t change anything up too much.
Ingredients You Need to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes
I love that classic gingerbread flavoring! These cupcakes use cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to bring in that holiday flavor. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for measurements.
- Cake flour: The cake flour makes these cupcakes lighter and not as dense.
- Granulated sugar: This will sweeten up the cupcakes.
- Dark brown sugar: Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it making it more rich than light brown sugar.
- Baking powder: This creates bubbles in the batter helping the cupcakes to stay light and fluffy.
- Baking soda: Baking soda keeps the cupcake tender and soft.
- Salt: This enhances all of the flavors in the cupcakes.
- Ground Cinnamon, ginger and cloves: This combination of seasonings brings that gingerbread flavor.
- Buttermilk: You can use store bought buttermilk or make this homemade Buttermilk. Either one works great!
- Milk: 1% or 2% milk works fine.
- Vanilla: This really brings out the sweet flavors in this recipe.
- Vegetable Oil: The oil helps to make the cupcakes nice and moist.
- Molasses: This is an ingredient typically used in gingerbread recipes for its unique flavor.
- Eggs: I like to make sure that my eggs are at room temperature before mixing them in.
White Chocolate Buttercream
- White chocolate: Any white chocolate chips will work.
- Butter: Unsalted butter that is softened to room temperature will help it to mix better.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used instead of granulated sugar because it dissolves better which keeps the frosting smooth.
- Vanilla extract: This adds a bit of extra flavoring and sweetness to all of the ingredients.
- Salt: This is used to enhance all of the ingredient flavors.
- Heavy Cream: This is optional and only needs to be used if you need to bind everything together.
Let’s Bake Some Cupcakes!
These gingerbread cupcakes only take about an hour to make. The hardest part will be waiting for them to cook but they are worth the wait. These are insanely delicious!
- Preheat and prep pan with liners: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray the pan and liners lightly with pan spray. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
- Add in wet ingredients: To the same bowl add the buttermilk, milk, vanilla, molasses, oil and eggs and beat with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer just until fully combined.
- Scoop batter and bake: Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until they are 2/3 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when pressed on or a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Frost: Frost the gingerbread cupcakes with the white chocolate buttercream.
White Chocolate Buttercream
- Melt chocolate: In a small bowl melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Allow the fully melted chocolate to cool down for at least 10 minutes, until it is room temperature, not warm to the touch.
- Beat butter and add chocolate: In a large bowl add the softened butter and beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth and light. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the cooled white chocolate until fully combined and smooth.
- Add in the rest of ingredients: Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and mix on low until nearly completely absorbed before increasing the speed to high. Whip for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. If the texture of the frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and mix on medium low to combine
Baking Tips
These gingerbread cupcakes are so good and I want to help yours turn out perfectly. Here are a few tips to help you out.
- Room temperature ingredients: Start by setting out your ingredients before you start baking. Baking with room temperature ingredients helps when mixing the ingredients together and it creates a smooth batter and frosting!
- Don’t open the oven door: If you open the oven too soon, it releases too much hot air. This makes it so that your cupcakes bake unevenly. If you need to check on things then use the oven light!
- Cake flour: The reason that I use cake flour instead of regular flour is because it makes the cupcakes more tender. If you don’t have cake flour, don’t worry, you can make it from scratch. For every 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace with cornstarch. Then, you will sift it together. Once it’s been fully sifted, then measure out the amount of flour that you need for the recipe!
How to Store Leftovers
Gingerbread cupcakes make fantastic leftovers… That is if you still have any leftovers after your guests devour them! Store them in an airtight container on your counter. They will last 2-3 days. Don’t store them in your refrigerator, they will dry out!
More Delicious Gingerbread Recipes
If you love gingerbread then you must try my other tried and true favorites! This flavor only gets used around the holidays so you should pack in all of the recipes that you can. Try one or try them all. They are SOO GOOD. In fact, I bet that you can’t pick a favorite! Enjoy and happy holidays!
Desserts
Warm Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Sauce
Desserts
Gingerbread Sugar Cookie Bars
Desserts
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Breakfast
Gingerbread Pancakes
