Super moist and oh-so-delicious Small Batch Gingerbread Cupcakes! An easy-to-make and follow recipe that gives you 6 soft and flavorful cupcakes that are topped with a thick and creamy marshmallow buttercream frosting. They're absolutely perfect as-is or topped with a festive piped Christmas lights design!
Adjust your oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line the middle rows of a cupcake tin with 6 cupcake liners. Set to the side.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Set to the side.
½ cup + 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger, ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cloves, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and dark brown sugar together until well combined. Add in the egg then the molasses, buttermilk, and vanilla extract beating until mixture is blended together. The mixture will look a little lumpy from adding in the buttermilk. This is okay.
¼ cup Unsalted Butter, ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar, 1 Large Egg, ¼ cup Full Flavored Molasses, ¼ cup Buttermilk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually adding in the whisked dry ingredients until just combined. The gingerbread cupcake batter will be on the thinner side.
Evenly divide the gingerbread cake batter into the 6 lined cupcake cavities and bake for 18-20 minutes at 350ºF or until an inserted toothpick into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes from the tin and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Frost the cupcakes with the marshmallow frosting once the cupcakes have cooled completely.
marshmallow buttercream frosting
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and marshmallow creme on medium-high speed until well blended.
½ cup Unsalted Butter, 3 ½ oz Marshmallow Creme
With the mixer stopped, add in the powdered sugar. Mix together on low speed until the frosting is fully incorporated. For an even thicker frosting, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
1 ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, then mix once more on medium-high speed.
Spread the frosting onto each cupcake using an offset spatula.
If decorating the tops with the Christmas light theme, reserve about ¼ to ⅓ cup of the frosting to color green (for the Christmas light cord color).
Rainbow Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds, Food Coloring Gel
Notes
Recipe times noted are for both the gingerbread cupcakes and the marshmallow buttercream frosting.
Allow roughly 25-30 minutes for your cupcakes to cool before frosting.
Place your cupcake liners in the 2 middle sections of your cupcake tin.
Be careful not to over mix your cupcake batter.
Use either a cookie scoop, large measuring glass, or large and small spoon to add the cupcake batter.