A small batch recipe for easy homemade moist gingerbread cupcakes with brown sugar cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A must make holiday dessert!

Being an adult can be really dumb, in the sense that you get excited over things you never EVER expected to be happy about as a child. For example… furniture or new appliances. I mean, what kid would really be excited about that, unless it’s for their own room and it’s super cute and awesome – right? Well, this time, it’s window candle holders. I planned really poorly and bought electric window candles for the holidays. The cords make them so they not only all have to be plugged in (obviously)… but also, make them ridiculously hard to stay up on their own. The candles are lightweight so the cord weight pulls them down. Let’s not even discuss the fact that we have to unplug/plug them whenever we want them off or on.

Anyway, long story short… I found these suction cup window holders specifically designed to hold window candles. My fear was that the suction cups would eventually give out and they’d fall off the window…been there and it always annoys me. *knocking on wood* So far everything is staying put so I bought more for the rest of the house. If you’re in my pathetic, totally non-important, situation – you should definitely get some.

We’re still on a holiday movie binge. That’s what December weekends are for, right? This weekend the notable ones were Prancer (don’t even waste your time on it if you haven’t already – it’s awful) and the original Miracle on 34th Street. When I bought that, I was sure I’d enjoy it more than the newer version, because that’s typically how it goes for me. But after watching it the other day, I’ve decided the newer one is better. Go figure! Do you have a preference?

I tested this recipe so many times to get it exactly how I wanted it. You can rest assured that this is the absolute perfect batch of moist gingerbread cupcakes. Tried and true. Amazing. Incredible. An absolute must make.

If you only make one cupcake recipe this month, it has to be these.

December and gingerbread go hand in hand. They’re best buddies. You have to enjoy a gingerbread treat or two before Christmas hits!

A small batch recipe for easy homemade moist gingerbread cupcakes with brown sugar-cinnamon cream cheese frosting and a mini gingerbread cookie topper!



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Gingerbread Cupcakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 7 cupcakes
Moist gingerbread cupcakes with brown sugar cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A must make holiday dessert!

Ingredients
 

Cupcakes:

  • 1/4 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 C light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp all spice
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 C all purpose flour
  • 1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 2 Tb hot water

Frosting:

  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 3 C powdered sugar, sifted
  • Gingerbread cookies, for decoration

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 7 paper liners. 
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla, beating until smooth. Scrape bowl as needed. Add spices, salt and baking soda, mixing until just dispersed. With mixer on low, alternate additions of flour and yogurt, finishing with 2 tablespoons of hot water. Continue mixing until no streaks remain. 
  • Divide batter between prepared paper liners, using a large cookie scoop.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan until easy to handle, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar until just combined. Add powdered suger in small batches, mixing well between additions. Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fit with a piping tip. Pipe as desired. Alternately a gallon storage bag may be used with the corner snipped off. Decorate with a small gingerbread cookie.

Notes

A jumbo round piping tip was used for this recipe.
An original recipe from Baked by Rachel

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal, Carbohydrates: 87g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 259mg, Potassium: 107mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 75g, Vitamin A: 819IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keywords: Cupcake, Gingerbread

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