So, one of my New Year's resolutions was to be better about blogging. So far, well, I guess I'm slipping, because it's already the middle of January and it's taken me this long to post something. And the thing I'm posting is something I made during the holidays!
There are certain flavors that immediately make you think of the holidays....eggnog, peppermint (at least for me), and gingerbread. And since I've been on a cupcake bender lately, I was wanting to find a good gingerbread cupcake recipe. The recipe I found here got rave reviews online, but the frosting proportions looked way off, so I decided to use an old standby, my favorite cream cheese frosting. The resulting cupcakes were very light and airy, something that I loved, because gingerbread normally is very dense and I wasn't sure if that would translate well to a cupcake. The flavor also develops in your mouth, from a light ginger flavor into very intense as you're finishing the bite, which everyone seemed to love. Now, I know that it's January already, but I didn't want to wait a whole year to post them, because I think they are delicious and could be made all year round, if you like the flavor. You could try to mix it up with a lemon frosting too. I also used a small star tip and piped little stars all over the cupcake, instead of the swirl of frosting that I normally do. Enjoy!
GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
For the Cupcakes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup hot milk
For the Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Make the Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line with paper liners a 12-cup muffin tin.
Cream 5 tablespoons of the butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin, about 2/3 full in each muffin well. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and remove to a rack to cool.
To Make the Frosting
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until just firm enough to frost, about 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes as desired.
GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
For the Cupcakes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup hot milk
For the Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Make the Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line with paper liners a 12-cup muffin tin.
Cream 5 tablespoons of the butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin, about 2/3 full in each muffin well. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and remove to a rack to cool.
To Make the Frosting
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until just firm enough to frost, about 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes as desired.
