We are halfway through the 12 Baking Days of Christmas series! Have you found a favorite yet? Day 7 might be the one: a moist and fluffy spiced cake perfectly complemented by a rich, cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It’s Christmas in cupcake form.
These cupcakes are so soft and flavorful that I had to make a second batch — everyone devoured the first! Nothing says Christmas more to me than the special blend of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. The house smells amazing while they’re baking and the aroma alone seems to get you into the holiday mood. It really is a shame I only make them once a year.
I add a touch of cinnamon to my go-to cream cheese frosting and generously pipe it on each cake. I almost had to make another batch of the frosting, too, given the high demand for taste tests. It really is to die for and is the perfect complement to this spicy, gingery cake.
So if there’s only one recipe you make at home from the 12 Baking Days of Christmas series, let this be the one. Enjoy! — v.
The 12 Baking Days of Christmas 2015
Day 1 ❄︎ Cookies For Santa
Day 2 ❄︎ Cranberry Bliss Bars
Day 3 ❄︎ Saltine Toffee Bark
Day 4 ❄︎ Holiday Baked Brie
Day 5 ❄︎ Grinch Crinkle Cookies
Day 6 ❄︎ Baked French Toast Casserole
Day 7 ❄︎ Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Day 8 ❄︎ Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Day 9 ❄︎ Cherry-Rum Biscotti
Day 10 ❄︎ Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Day 11 ❄︎ Snowflake Sugar Cookies
Day 12 ❄︎ Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Step 2 In a large bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Step 3 In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add molasses and egg and stir until blended. Add 1/4 cup milk and half of dry ingredients, then mix. Add remainder of milk, remainder of dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Step 4 Spoon batter into liners no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
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Step 5
For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add cinnamon and vanilla and blend well. Add powdered sugar, a cup at a time, and blend until light and fluffy. Pipe high onto cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!
Cupcake recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
I just made this today, and it is so yummy! I made it into a layer cake instead of cupcakes. It is the perfect holiday cake – definitely a keeper recipe! I will make this again next year!
Girl I can’t wait to see you. I love baking and cooking. Thank you for all the Love recipes
Thank you for following along and leaving comments! It has been a lot of work and a lot of fun, too! We will have to bake/cook up a storm when next we meet — looking forward to it!