Gingerbread Cupcakes

It's another cupcake post! Don't you all just love cupcakes? I especially love mini cupcakes. They are so cute and little. And easy to eat.

You will love these mini cupcakes. They are easy to whip up and sure to impress.

I made these little beauties for Christmas, but I think they would be delicious any time of the year!

You can also make these into a cake. That would also be delicious.

I topped my mini-cupcakes with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream (see the recipe here) and some candied ginger. You can make your own candied ginger. That does sound like something I would do, doesn't it? Stop laughing, those of you who know me! :) I did not make my own, though. I love the candied ginger pieces made by The Ginger Poeople and I always have some on hand. I get mine at Williams Sonoma. Remember that a little goes a long way!

Once your cupcakes are baked and cooled, top with a swirl of the buttercream and a sprinkling of the candied ginger. Yum!

Here is the recipe for the cupcakes! Enjoy!

Gingerbread Cake

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups (11-2/3 ounces) brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons molasses
3 whole large eggs
2-3/4 cups (9-2/3 ounces) sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare cupcake tins by lining with cupcake wrappers. Or prepare 2 8-inch round cake pans by greasing them with shortening and lining with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the molasses and blend well. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the cream, beginning and ending with the flour and mixing after each addition just until blended.

Fill each cupcake liner halfway (or divide evenly between the two cake pans). Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes for mini-cupcakes, 20-25 minutes for regular cupcakes or 35-45 minutes for cakes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove cupcakes from pans immediately and allow to cool completely on wire racks before frosting. If baking as cakes, allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!