Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting
Warm up your holiday celebrations with these spiced gingerbread cupcakes, topped with a creamy eggnog frosting. The perfect festive holiday dessert.
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting
Gingerbread cupcakes are a fun treat to make, especially during the holidays! They have a warm, spicy flavor that many people love.
Topped with creamy eggnog frosting, these cupcakes are perfect for sharing with friends and family at parties or holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Granulated sugar
Molasses: It adds that classic gingerbread taste.
Eggs: Pull out of the fridge about 30-60 minutes before making to allow to come to room temperature.
Softened butter: Pull your butter out at the same time as your eggs to allow it to soften and come to room temperature. Used in both the cupcakes and the frosting.
Flour: All-purpose flour is great for this recipe. Sift it to avoid lumps.
Baking soda: Make sure your baking soda is fresh for the best rise.
Spices & Seasonings: Use salt, cinnamon, and ground cloves.
Milk: We use whole milk.
Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the frosting.
Eggnog: Choose your favorite brand of eggnog for the frosting. Some are spicier or creamier, so go with what you like best!
Powdered sugar: Sifting the powdered sugar before adding it helps prevent lumps in your frosting.
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 375F and line two 12-cup cupcake pans with liners.
In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the granulated sugar, molasses, softened butter, and eggs until smooth and well combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and clove until fully mixed.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, blending until just incorporated.
Pour in the milk and mix until the batter is smooth and uniform.
Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting by whipping together the cream cheese and softened butter in a stand mixer.
Gradually add the eggnog and powdered sugar, two cups at a time, mixing until you reach your desired consistency.
Once the cupcakes are cool, use a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip to frost each cupcake.
Keep leftovers in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy.
Tips & Tricks
Room Temperature Ingredients: Use eggs and butter at room temperature for better mixing and a smoother batter.
Use a Cookie Scoop: For even cupcake sizes, you can use a cookie scoop to fill the liners with batter.
Mixing Technique: Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour; mix until just combined to keep the cupcakes light and fluffy.
Decorate Creatively: You can top with festive sprinkles, crushed gingerbread cookies, or even candied ginger.
Batch Baking: Double the recipe and freeze half for a quick treat later; this is great for unexpected guests.
Cupcake Liners: Use fun or holiday-themed liners.
Leftovers/Storage
Store leftover gingerbread cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or at room temperature for a day or two if covered.
You can freeze the cupcakes after they cool completely.
Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet for about an hour, then transfer to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper.
They can be frozen for up to three months; thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours when ready to eat.
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup softened butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon clove
- ¾ cup milk
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- ½ cup eggnog
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Add cupcake liners to two 12 serving cupcake pans and set aside.
- In your electric mixer using the paddle attachment, blend sugar, molasses, butter, and eggs.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and clove until well incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend until well incorporated.
- Add milk to batter and blend until smooth.
- Scoop cupcake batter into cupcake liners and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, whip butter and cream cheese with a stand mixer.
- Add eggnog and powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and whip until you reach desired consistency.
- Add frosting to a piping bag with 1M piping tip and frost the cupcakes.
- Keep leftovers in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy.
