Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange-Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Gingerbread cupcakes packed with spices and rich molasses and topped with tangy orange-ginger cream cheese frosting - because Christmas is for adults too!
Course
Dessert
Servings14-16
Author2Teaspoons
Ingredients
Cupcakes
½cupbrown sugar
¼cupbutter
¾cupapplesauce
1egg
1cupmolasses
2 ½cupsall-purpose flour
1 ½teaspoonsbaking soda
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
2teaspoonsground ginger
1teaspoonground cloves
½teaspoonsalt
1cuphot water
Frosting
¾cupsoftened unsalted butter1 ½ sticks
2cupsof powdered sugar siftedmeasure before sifting
4ouncesof cream cheese
1teaspoonvanilla
zest and juice of 2 oranges
1tablespoonground ginger
pinchof salt
Optional: Chopped dried cranberries and candied ginger to sprinkle on frosted cupcakes.
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add applesauce then beat in the egg and mix in the molasses.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Gradually add flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared muffin tin.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Frosting
Once cupcakes are completely cool, beat butter for frosting with an electric mixer on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, orange zest and juice, ginger and salt, then add cream cheese one ounce at a time until desired tanginess is reached.*
Frost cupcakes. Top with optional chopped dried cranberries or candied ginger and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Too much cream cheese will cause frosting to be runny.