Gingerbread Cupcakes

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These gingerbread cupcakes are so soft and fluffy and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and ginger. They’re frosted with the BEST toasted marshmallow cream cheese frosting and will be perfect for every holiday get together.

gingerbread cupcakes frosted with toasted marshmallow cream cheese frosting

I’ve been testing gingerbread cupcakes for a few years now. Every year I thought they were “good enough to eat” so I always served them at my holiday parties but they were never “good enough to post”.

So this year I was on a mission to make the BEST gingerbread cupcake I’ve ever made! Here she is. I don’t like molasses so I didn’t use any but I did use dark brown sugar to give it that nostalgic hint of molasses flavor.

Why you’ll love these gingerbread cupcakes

My gingerbread cupcakes have the perfect blend of dark brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger.
They’re super easy to make and pretty versatile. If you want a simple cream cheese frosting, simply just skip the marshmallow steps.
The cupcakes can be made with dairy free and gluten-free alternatives as well.
The cupcakes and the frosting can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and just stored in the fridge or the freezer.

I am on a roll with holiday inspired cupcakes this year so make sure to check out my Peppermint Cupcakes and my fun Christmas Cupcakes decorated for the holiday.

I think you’ll also love my hot chocolate cupcakes, eggnog cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes.

If you’re just just here for all things gingerbread, may I suggest my fabulous gingerbread cake, gingerbread snickerdoodles or my gingerbread loaf!

a bite taken out of a gingerbread cupcake

Ingredients you’ll need:

Butter: I like to use salted butter for my cakes and unsalted butter for my buttercreams.
- You can also use unsalted butter for the cakes, just add an extra ¼ tsp of salt to every cup of butter used.
Oil: any neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, etc. will work.
Sugar: I used just dark brown sugar in my cupcakes to give it that molasses flavor. I really am not a fan of using molasses in recipes so I recommend the dark brown sugar but if you only have light brown, that’ll work too. I don’t recommend reducing the amount as it will alter the texture as well as the flavor.
Vanilla: I use extract in this recipe but vanilla bean paste would be even more elevated, especially in the frosting.
Eggs: always use large, room temperature eggs. Place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes if they’re cold.
- I use one whole egg here but this cupcake recipe also works great with two egg whites if you have some lying around.
Flour: I usually use all-purpose flour for cakes but cupcakes are a different story. I use cake flour for most cupcakes because it is a game changer.
- I also HIGHLY recommend using a d igital scale, as flour is almost always over measured.
- I’ve also made them with all-purpose flour and it does work well with this recipe.
Baking Powder: can sub for baking ½ tsp baking soda if you don’t have baking powder.
Salt: salt brings out the flavor in all baked goods.
Sour Cream: I use sour cream in almost all my cake and cupcake recipes. It brings and holds a lot of moisture into the cake. Plain greek yogurt or unsweetened regular yogurt also works.
Milk: any fat percentage of milk works, even plant based milk works.
Cream Cheese: I always recommend Philadelphia full-fat cream cheese and make sure to bring it to room temperature
Powdered sugar: For the frosting – the amount can vary. The frosting is sweet so feel free to use a little less here if you want but it will make the frosting softer so you’ll need to refrigerate it longer before using it.
Marshmallows: I tested this with marshmallows and marshmallow fluff and both work great. I used 15 large marshmallows in this frosting. It’s kind of a lot but we need that stronger flavor – will make the frosting soft for a little but nothing the fridge can’t fix.

gingerbread cupcake topped with several mini marshmallows

Step-by-Step Instructions

Gingerbread Cupcakes

STEP 1: Make the gingerbread cupcakes by beating the oil with the dry ingredients.

STEP 2: Add the egg and vanilla and beat until they’re fully incorporated.

STEP 3: Add the sour cream and milk and mix until they’re combined.

STEP 4: Scoop cupcake batter into 12 lined cupcake tins – they should be ⅔-¾ full, about 50 grams of batter.

STEP 5: Bake for 18ish minutes, until they’re puffed and no longer wet on top and the center springs back when you press on it .

oil added to dry ingredients — dry ingredients combined in bowl

Marshmallow Frosting

STEP 1: Cream the butter with an electric mixer at full speed until it’s pale and creamy.

STEP 2: Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed just until it comes together. Scrape the edge of the bowl and increase to high speed for a few minutes until the frosting is smooth.

STEP 3: Place the marshmallows in a plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds, until they’re puffed up. Remove from the microwave and use a kitchen torch to toast the top.

If you don’t have a torch, skip the microwaving and place them on a small cookie sheet and broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool for just 1 minute or two. You want them to still be soft and melty inside but not piping hot.

STEP 4: Add the vanilla and slightly cooled marshmallows to the frosting. Mix until it’s completely smooth. Refrigerate the frosting for about 15-30 minutes to firm up a little.

marshmallows in a plate — how the marshmallows look when they’re not melted

melted marshmallows in a plate — how the marshmallows look when they’re not melted

Assemble

STEP 1: Use a large round tip to pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes.

STEP 2: Top with a large marshmallow or several mini ones and toast the top with a torch.

Again, you can do this in the oven but let it cool a little before placing it on top of the cupcake. This way will melt the inside of the marshmallow so it may shrivel up a little.

STEP 3: Can also top with snickerdoodle truffles and paint them with gold dust to look like ornaments OR with a gingerbread cookie.

cupcakes topped with toasted marshmallows and truffles paint with gold dust

How to decorate gingerbread cupcakes

I think this is the only gingerbread cupcake on the internet to not decorate with a gingerbread cookie. Lol, truthfully that is very cute but I was FAR too lazy to make little gingerbread men… then after I did this, I found the cutest gingerbread dehydrated marshmallows at the store.

So I topped half of them with marshmallows – 1 large or several small – and toasted them. The other half, I painted truffles with gold and silver luster dust to resemble ornaments. Not sure they really do but I like them lol.

cupcake decorated with a gold truffle — truffles covered with luster dust

Expert Tips On Getting Perfect Cupcakes

There’s a few things that can make it or break it with these cupcakes.

Don’t swap ingredients unless I mentioned them in the ingredient section above.
Don’t reduce the sugar. I know a lot of people do that for some recipes but it alters the texture not just the flavor.
Weigh your ingredients with a digital scale
Weigh the batter for each cupcake with a digital scale. I just place the cupcake pan on the scale with the liners and measure out 50-55 grams for each cupcake (or 45 grams if you’re using a truffle in the center).
Use a light colored stainless steel muffin tin for a more even bake.
If you pipe a large dollop of frosting on top (more than I did) you may need to make a little more, read the FAQ section for adjusting frosting quantity!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to get that perfect dome on the cupcake?

My secret to perfect cupcakes is my digital scale! If you overfill or underfill the muffin pans you may get a cupcake with a muffin top or a shriveled sunken cupcake but if you weigh them, you’ll get it right each time.
Each cupcake should hold 50-55 grams of batter. There might be just a little leftover batter (not enough for another cupcake), DO NOT be tempted to squeeze it all in. Just lick the spatula and call it a day!

Can I make these cupcake dairy free?

You can use dairy free butter, dairy free milk/cream cheese to make these cupcakes.

Can I make these cupcakes gluten-free?

I have not tested my cupcake recipes but all my cake recipes work well with a 1:1 gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.

Why did my cupcakes shrivel?

These cupcakes shrivel when they’re overfilled or when the ingredients aren’t all at room temperature or not mixed properly. I highly recommend a digital scale for measuring out your ingredients and measuring out the batter in each tin.

How do I know when cupcakes are done baking?

The cupcakes are done baking when they no longer look wet. Browning won’t help because the cupcakes are already dark to start with so make sure to test it by gently pressing on the tallest area of the cupcake and if it springs back, it’s done. If it feels wet and stays pressed in, give it another few minutes before testing again.

gingerbread cupcakes frosted with toasted marshmallow frosting and a bite taken out

How to serve and store gingerbread cupcakes

Serve the cupcakes fresh or refrigerate them. Make sure to cover the cupcakes with a cake dome or store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

To freeze, place them in an airtight container and then place the container in an airtight bag. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before serving.

If you make these gingerbread cupcakes, I would love it if you left me a review or a star rating!

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe

Bernice Baran

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 15

Cook Time 18

Additional Time 1

Total Time 2 33

Course Cupcakes

Cuisine American

Servings cupcakes

Calories 542 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/4 cup (143g) cake flour spooned and leveled (All-purpose also works)
1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar lightly packed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
tiny pinch ground black pepper *optional
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup (120mL) canola oil
1 large egg 60g, room temperature (or 2 large egg whites if you want whiter cupcakes)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (56g) sour cream
1/4 cup (56mL) whole milk room temperature

Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
8 oz (1 brick) cream cheese room temperature
4 cups (480g) powdered sugar spooned and leveled
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
15 large marshmallows or about 3 oz of fluff