Spiced Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These moist homemade Gingerbread Cupcakes are ideal for autumn and winter. Soft and tender, they deliver classic gingerbread flavor from ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses. We top them with a tangy cream cheese frosting for a delicious contrast of spice and sweetness.

How to Make Gingerbread Cupcakes

The printable recipe appears below, but here is a concise overview of the steps. These instructions assume standard kitchen equipment: stand or hand mixer, mixing bowls, measuring tools, and cupcake pans lined with paper liners.

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare cupcake pans with paper liners.
• Combine dry ingredients in one bowl: cake flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk briefly and set aside.
• Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl: buttermilk, vegetable oil, and molasses.
• In the mixer bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating 3–5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing only until the yolk is incorporated after each addition.
• With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients in two additions. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined, scraping the bowl as needed to avoid overmixing.
• Divide the batter into the prepared liners, filling each cup roughly one-quarter full to start, or to your preferred level for full cupcakes.
• Bake at 350°F for about 15–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Note: Oven temperatures vary. Start checking at 15 minutes and remove when done to prevent overbaking. This recipe yields about 30 standard cupcakes depending on how full you fill the liners.

Frosting the Cupcakes

These cupcakes pair beautifully with cream cheese frosting. The frosting is a straightforward blend of softened cream cheese and butter, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract. The tang of the cream cheese complements the warm spices of the cake.

To frost:

• Beat the softened butter until smooth, then add cream cheese cut into pieces and mix until combined.
• Add vanilla, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and at your desired sweetness and piping consistency.
• If you plan to pipe swirls, chill the frosting briefly so it holds shape. Pipe starting from the outer edge and spiral inward, or spread with a spatula for a simpler finish.

If the frosting softens while you work, place the piping bag or bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm it up—do not microwave.

Recipe FAQs

Can these cupcakes be baked ahead and frozen?

Yes. Bake and cool the cupcakes completely, then arrange them in a single layer on a tray to freeze until firm. Once frozen solid, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil or place in a freezer-safe container. They will keep for up to three months. Thaw still-wrapped on the counter for about 20 minutes before frosting.

Do the cupcakes need refrigeration?

Because the frosting contains cream cheese, store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container, under a cake dome, or inside a sealed bakery box. For best texture and flavor, remove the cupcakes from refrigeration a couple of hours before serving to allow them to warm slightly.

Are there other gingerbread cake recipes to try?

If you enjoy gingerbread flavor, you may like fuller layer cakes and pound cakes that use similar spices and molasses. Experimenting with pumpkin, gingersnap crumbs, or spiced cream cheese frostings adds variety and complements the ginger notes well.

More Fall Cakes

We enjoy many fall and winter desserts that showcase warming spices and seasonal ingredients. Below are a few ideas and inspirations to try alongside these cupcakes.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (170g)
• 2 cups (400g) sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups cake flour (342g)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder (8g)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
• ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger (4g)
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon (6g)
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg (1g)
• 1 cup buttermilk (242g) (whole buttermilk recommended)
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil (65g)
• ½ cup molasses (160g)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226g)
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened (two 8 oz packages; full fat recommended)
• 6 to 6 ½ cups powdered sugar (690g–747g), start with 6 cups and adjust to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, and molasses; stir and set aside.
4. Beat softened butter in a mixer until smooth. Add sugar and beat 3–5 minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated after each addition.
6. With mixer on low, add the dry mixture in three parts, alternating with the wet mixture in two parts. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix only until just combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Avoid overmixing.
7. Portion the batter into the liners and bake at 350°F for 15–18 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Beat the softened butter until smooth, then add cream cheese cut into pieces and mix until blended.
2. Stir in vanilla extract.
3. Gradually add powdered sugar and the pinch of salt, mixing until smooth and at a piping-consistency you like.
4. Keep frosting slightly chilled for best piping results. If it becomes too soft during use, refrigerate briefly to firm up.

Decorating

• Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes. For swirls, use a piping bag and start at the outer edge, spiraling inward.
• Store frosted cupcakes refrigerated in an airtight container. For best texture and flavor, let them sit at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving.

Notes

Substitution for Cake Flour: To make a cake-flour substitute from all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour per cup of measured flour and replace each removed 2 tablespoons with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe’s 3 cups of cake flour, measure 3 cups of all-purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons, and replace with 6 tablespoons cornstarch; whisk to combine before using.