The Baking Experiment: Gingerbread Cupcakes

When my colleague Joe first requested gingerbread cupcakes all that I could think about how much work they were going to be. But after a bit of googling I had made up my mind and set out to make these babies.

I have had a very good gingerbread recipe that I inherited from my lovely friend Charlie. She is a vegan and because of all the misconceptions about vegan food I usually don’t tell people that the gingerbread they are eating is vegan until they start raving about how good it is.

For the gingerbread:

• 4 ounces butter (or margarine)
• 3 ounces of soft brown sugar
• 1tbsp golden syrup
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp ginger
• 8 ounces flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

1. Cream the butter, syrup and brown sugar together until creamy.
2. Add the spices to the mixture.
3. Mix in the remaining ingredients and kneed until well combined.
4. Cover the surface and rolling pin in a little flour, roll out and use your cookie cutters to make beautiful little gingerbread men.

For the cupcakes:

• 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line muffin pan with baking cup cases.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour and spices; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light, about 3 minutes.
4. Beat in the molasses until incorporated. If you do not have molasses you can simply mix corn syrup and brown sugar together.
5. Beat in eggs one at a time and then beat in vanilla.
6. Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
7. Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
8. Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

For Cinnamon Cream Filling:


• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Add cinnamon and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3. Ice the cupcakes and decorate with the gingerbread men.

Et Voila, Gingerbread cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing:

P.S.: A little update
These babies have made their way into the Emerald Street Cupcake Competition... Check them out