I went on facebook today and one of my friends mentioned that today is National Cupcake Day! I had no idea! So, of course I had to make some cupcakes…some gingerbread cupcakes! There were many recipes for gingerbread cupcakes on the internet, but I decided to use the recipe from “Cupcakes!” by Elinor Klivans which is in my kitchen bookcase. The recipe actually calls for lemon filling, but I decided to skip that since I was in a time crunch. If I had more time I would have decorated the mini gingerbread cookies, but went for the rustic look this time:)
I also found many frosting recipes paired up with gingerbread cupcakes, but they all seemed to call for cream cheese, and I didn’t have any on hand. I finally found one that was whipped cream based, which I did have:) It has a hint of ginger which doesn’t overpower the cupcake. Though the frosted cupcake may be eaten right away(of course), I think the frosting was even better once it had firmed up in the refrigerator:) SO good! As a finale, I dusted the cupcakes with some cinnamon, my favorite spice! These were easy(mixed by hand) to throw together, and delicious!
Gingerbread Cupcakes (Elinor Klivans) makes 12 cupcakes
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder3/4 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon ground ginger2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon cloves1/4 cup(1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar2 large eggs6 tablespoons molasses3/4 cup waterPreheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses together until blended. Using a large spoon, stir in the flour mixture in 3 additions and water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and stirring until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. Fill each paper liner with 1/3 cup of batter, to about 1/4 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.
Ginger Whipped Cream Frosting http://www.murrayhill5.net/blog/inmykitchenblog/archives/000542.html
- 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream (mine was regular, not heavy)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
For whipped cream frosting:
Beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, vanilla, and ginger. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Frost your cupcakes and ENJOY!
HAPPY NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY!