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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16 Responses to “Coconut Layer Cake Filled with Lemon Curd”

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    1
    Erica @ Inandaroundtown — April 6, 2011 at 4:22 pm

    WOW – I would like to have a piece of that cake as soon as possible! looks beautiful and delicious!

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    2
    FunandFearlessinBeantown — April 6, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    This cake looks beautiful and I love the addition of toasted coconut!

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    3
    Christina — April 6, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    I love love cakes with coconut. So delicious.

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    4
    Maria — April 6, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    Beautiful cake!

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    5
    DeliciousDish — April 6, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    Totally agree – the more layers the better! The cake looks stunning!

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    Paula Kelly-Bourque — April 6, 2011 at 5:04 pm

    Had I been at your dinner party you wouldn’t have had to cook anything. I would have just completely indulged in this gorgeous cake!

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    7
    Evan — April 6, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    This cake looks incredible! coconut and lemon are two of my favorite flavors; I’m glad you don’t have to choose one or the other with this recipe.

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    8
    Bianca Garcia — April 6, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    This sounds wonderful. Coconut with lemon curd, yummmm!

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    9
    Taryn — April 6, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    This looks fantastic – so springy and beautiful, and absolutely delish 🙂

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    10
    ammy 92 — April 6, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    what a wonderful cake!

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    11
    ErinsFoodFiles — April 6, 2011 at 6:30 pm

    Beautiful cake! I’ve been craving a coconut cake, but I know too many people who don’t like coconut cake that if I made it I wouldn’t have anyone to share. Boo.

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    Shannon — April 6, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    ooh, fabulous. love the lemon curd-coconut combo, and in a layer cake, fun!!

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    A Boston Food Diary — April 6, 2011 at 8:30 pm

    OF COURSE 4 is better than 2!!! This looks amazing….I love the idea of lemon and coconut together-and it’s gorgeous!

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    14
    Aimee — April 6, 2011 at 8:47 pm

    Love lemon curd, love coconut, especially love a cake that lets me “frost” the sides with ease. This looks so yummy!!

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    Nutmeg Nanny — April 6, 2011 at 9:31 pm

    Such a delicious cake! I honestly didn’t know a 6 inch was half of a 9 inch….thank you 🙂

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    Kelly Jaremco — April 29, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    I told my girlfriend I would bake her a cake for her birthday this Sunday !!! I got lemon curd and coconut stuck in my brain, so I started googling… which led me to your page !!! This recipie looks almost perfect !!

    Couple questions…

    Do you think the coconut extract was too strong for the cake, because you also have the browned coconut pcs too? I was considering vanilla bean cake, lemon curd and toasted coconut on the outside… but perhaps that wouldn’t be enough coconut flavour…. your thoughts?

    Lastly… what did you use as the frosting to keep the toasted coconut on? It looks like whipping cream…. ?!?!?

    Thanks !!!
    Kelly

    P.S
    This is the first cake I’ve ever baked !!! lol

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