Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Gingerbread is a classic holiday flavor. I actually had never had gingerbread until I met Hubby. I guess it just wasn’t part of my eating background growing up. A few years ago I made some gingerbread cut out cookies that had a lemon cream cheese frosting piped onto them. I was remembering those cookies when I decided to make these cupcakes. I’m entering these cupcakes into Baking Bites Holiday Cupcake Contest (and just barely in time since entries are due by midnight tonight!)
I love these cupcakes because they have very festive sprinkles, (I love sprinkles), festive colors, and festive flavors. For the frosting, I made a lemon cream cheese frosting. Lemon actually pairs really well with gingerbread even though most people gave a weird look when I told them the frosting flavor.
I mentioned the festive colors. Not only are the sprinkles red and green, but the cupcake liners are as well. I love the vibrant colors of these liners and I’m hoping Santa brought me some more, because I’m starting to run low.
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: 24
Ingredients:
For the Gingerbread Cupcakes
1 1/2 c flour
2 Tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 c (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 c sugar
3 Tbsp molasses
4 eggs, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 stick unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
For the Gingerbread Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Sift flour and spices together and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour mixture until just combined.
Fill each muffin tin ~3/4 full. Bake ~25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream cheese and butter until softened. Slowly add the sugar, zest, and juice and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes.
Gingerbread Cupcakes recipe from Martha Stewart
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe adapted from 52 Cupcakes
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
My ice cream with coconut milk keeps freezing solid, into a very solid rock. Any ideas what the problem is? I have a recipe going up tomorrow, with a disclaimer that you need to defrost it if you freeze it overnight, heh…
beantownbaker — August 16th, 2013 @ 8:16 am
Hm. I have noticed that some of my ice creams do need to sit on the counter for a bit before they’re scoopable. But I haven’t noticed if it’s related to the coconut milk or not… Mine is usually fine after sitting out for 10 minutes or so…
you are on a roll with the frozen treats! sounds like its been a good summer 🙂
beantownbaker — August 16th, 2013 @ 8:34 am
I definitely am on a roll this summer… Homemade ice cream is just so dang good.
Love that you use coconut milk with all of this chocolate!
beantownbaker — August 16th, 2013 @ 8:19 am
I love the subtle coconut flavor that it provides!
So much chocolaty goodness, wow I need this in my life. This ice cream looks beyond amazing!! Pinning :))
Chocolate fudge <3 oh my! This looks wonderful!
That’s where those extra pounds have come from! Delicious homemade ice cream ruins all diets, but it’s just so yummy! This batch looks fantastic!
beantownbaker — August 23rd, 2013 @ 10:40 am
Absolutely! It’s so worth it.