This is a delicious moist syrupy spiced gingerbread cupcake that can be made not only for the holidays but throughout the year. It is then paired with a lemon-infused cream cheese frosting which compliments with this cupcake. Peel and grate a few gingers and leave out the fibres from the ginger then in a bowl, add soft unsalted room temperature butter with half a cup of sugar then use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients until nice and fluffy.

Crack in one whole egg with half a cup of molasses which adds a rich flavour and smell to the gingerbread, you can also use black treacle, mix them until they are well combined. For the essentials, you will add one teaspoon of ground cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt which really balances the sweetness of the cupcake.

Once all are well mixed in, add in the ground ginger and make sure you mix it in well into the batter, to add another level of depth to the cupcake, you can add a two-thirds cup of Guinness if you don’t want to add Guinness, you can just add water or buttermilk. Add in the four in batches while mixing into the batter after each addition, this way it is much easier to combine.

Once your batter is ready, use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter and fill the cupcakes liners to three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the centre come out clean. While the cupcakes are baked and cooling, you can start preparing the toppings, combine half a cup of softened butter with cream cheese in a large bowl until you are left with a thick velvety mass. Add in two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice which will add a delightful tang to your cream cheese icing.

Add in vanilla extract for that warm flavour and when you are satisfied with the consistency of the frosting, spoon it into a piping bag. Snip off the end of the piping bag and pipe a large dollop on the centre of the cupcake. These cupcakes are a perfect end of any day with a cup of hot tea.

Ingredients;

For the cupcakes;

  • ½ cup (110 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ (100 g) cup sugar (brown, granulated or Demerara all work great)
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup (120 mL) molasses or black treacle
  • 3 tbsp (50 g) freshly grated ginger, packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup (160 mL) Guinness (water or buttermilk can be substituted for a non-alcoholic version)
  • 1 and 1/3 cup (170 g) all-purpose flour

For the icing;

  • ½ cup (110 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (110 g) cream cheese (a firm kind, try to avoid an easily spreadable one)
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240 g) icing sugar

Instructions;

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C and line a 12-cup muffin tray with cupcake liners.
  2. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add in the egg and molasses and continue to blend.
  4. Stir in the ginger, making sure to mix well so that it is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  5. Toss in the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  6. Alternate the Guinness and the flour in three batches, starting with the Guinness and ending with the flour.
  7. The mixture will clump slightly, but it will come together once everything is incorporated.
  8. Spoon the batter into the muffin liners. Using an ice-cream scoop to do this ensures even amounts of batter for each cupcake.
  9. Bake for roughly 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  10. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing;

  1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
  2. Add the lemon and continue to mix.
  3. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar, tasting to ensure good flavour. You may add less based on the texture of the sugar- the more sugar you add, the less stiff cream cheese icing becomes. 1 ½ to 2 cups is perfect for me.
  4. Finally, blend in the vanilla extract.
  5. For a fancy finish, spoon the icing into a piping bag, snip off the end and pipe dollops of frosting atop the beautifully browned cupcake.
  6. Top with crumbled up cupcake or sprinkles.