Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cupcakes
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Gingerbread Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
2. In a stand mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in the egg until combined. Then add milk, molasses and vanilla, beating until well combined.
3. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloved, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until well combined.
5. Scoop batter into cupcake liners (distributing evenly – about ¾ full). bake for 20-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
6. In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon until well combined.
7. Add confectioners’ sugar ½ cup at a time and continue mixing until smooth. Continue adding confectioners’ sugar until desired taste and texture has been achieved.
8. Pipe or spread frosting over top cupcakes.
9. optional decorate with mini gingerbread cookies and/or cinnamon sticks.