Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: 9-12 cupcakes, depending on size
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Tips: Filling cupcake tins 2/3 full will produce 9 traditionally sized cupcakes. Dividing batter equally among 12 cupcake tins will produce 12 smaller cupcakes (which will make it easier to taste some frosting with every bite!). Store frosted cupcakes in refrigerator in an airtight container. When ready to eat, allow cupcakes to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to soften frosting and cake.
Suggestion: Delicious for any occasion, especially around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays!
Ingredients
- Cupcakes
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon soda
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup boiling water (or heat in a microwave 1 to 1 1/2 minutes)
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4-oz. cream cheese (1/2 of an 8-oz. package), softened
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 8 oz. powdered sugar (a little over 1 3/4 cups, but less than 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Beat butter in an electric mixer bowl until smooth. Add sugar and mix again, then add egg and mix again until well-blended.
In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger and soda. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, combine water and molasses and stir until well-blended. Set aside.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture in electric mixer bowl alternately with molasses and hot water mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of mixing bowl to incorporate all ingredients.
Pour batter evenly into buttered (may also spray with nonstick cooking spray) cupcake pans that contain 12 cupcake tins. (Note: To produce 9 slightly larger cupcakes, fill cupcake tins to 2/3 full.) Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before applying frosting.
While cupcakes are cooling, in an electric mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add butter and beat again to evenly blend. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then mix until blended and smooth, stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to frost cupcakes. To soften frosting, remove frosting from refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before applying to cupcakes.
Store frosted cupcakes in refrigerator, and allow to sit at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before serving.
In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger and soda. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, combine water and molasses and stir until well-blended. Set aside.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture in electric mixer bowl alternately with molasses and hot water mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of mixing bowl to incorporate all ingredients.
Pour batter evenly into buttered (may also spray with nonstick cooking spray) cupcake pans that contain 12 cupcake tins. (Note: To produce 9 slightly larger cupcakes, fill cupcake tins to 2/3 full.) Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before applying frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
While cupcakes are cooling, in an electric mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add butter and beat again to evenly blend. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then mix until blended and smooth, stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to frost cupcakes. To soften frosting, remove frosting from refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before applying to cupcakes.
Store frosted cupcakes in refrigerator, and allow to sit at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before serving.