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.

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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

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12 Responses to “Sugar Cookie Bars”

  1. #
    1
    Katie — April 7, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! I love this idea!! 🙂

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    2
    cateskitchen — April 7, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Perfect! I crave sugar cookies a lot but just can’t handle the rolling out process sometimes.

  3. #
    3
    wyndesnow — April 7, 2009 at 4:50 pm

    These look yummy! My kids are always asking me to make sugar cookies and I start out strong and by the end am regretting making them. This may be the perfect tradeoff.

  4. #
    4
    madebymel — April 7, 2009 at 7:10 pm

    Yum! These look delicious and way easier than frosting individual cookies!

  5. #
    5
    Kerstin — April 7, 2009 at 11:07 pm

    What a great idea – I rarely take the time to make cookies since bars are so much faster and just as tasty. I love all the sprinkles too 🙂

  6. #
    6
    bcallegra — April 8, 2009 at 1:16 am

    Just the recipe I was looking for – I may have to try it this week as an Easter treat for my coworkers.

  7. #
    7
    Jen — April 8, 2009 at 2:15 am

    Anyone who is thinking about making these definitely should. They’re seriously SO GOOD. I just made them Sunday and I’m making them again for Easter.

  8. #
    8
    Mermaid Sweets — April 8, 2009 at 8:15 pm

    I had the same reaction when they popped up in my google reader – and now again this time. They are on my list!

  9. #
    9
    Dawn — April 12, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    I keep seeing these and now I must try them. I love, no crave, sugar cookies all the time.

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    10
    finsmom — April 14, 2009 at 4:22 am

    I will be making this soon! Looks incredible!
    Thanks for sharing!

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    11
    Ingrid — April 14, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    Yum, I’ve made these before. They are excellent and soooo much easier. Yours looks good. I’m going to try them with buttercream instead of cream cheese frosting next time.
    ~ingrid

  12. #
    12
    Hui Min — July 18, 2010 at 6:00 am

    I think it will be better to put up the size of the baking pan too.
    Thank you very much for the recipe. =D

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