Gingerbread Cupcakes

Sorry about my absence.  Really, I fake calm, but really I've got way to much to do in such a short period and all this working sure is getting in the way.  Do you ever get overwhelmed by choices?  This happens almost exclusively in my food life, oddly I am a fairly decisive person in most other areas.  I'll want something for dinner, look at my board and feel SO overwhelmed.  If I haven't taken anything out of the freezer to thaw, then that is the end of my dinner plans.  Leftovers, sandwiches or baked goods it is.

I bought a cookie magazine, one of those 100 BEST CHRISTMAS COOKIES! magazines, with pretty pictures and simple recipes, but I can't choose! I'm so overwhelmed with all that is already on the list, I can't choose another to add.  Maybe I sense a little buyers remorse.  But not to worry, the magazine will be put to good use.  On a whim today I decided to make gingerbread cupcakes with molasses frosting for a get together celebrating two birthdays thus far this month.

I think these cupcakes are very good, light and moist with the gingerbread flavour you'd expect and a silky cream cheese frosting on top.  I don't make a lot of cupcakes, but if I had a hankering I'd make these again.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Molasses Frosting


I found the recipe right here.

Makes 12

Cupcakes:
8 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
100 g (1/2 c) brown sugar
1/2 c molasses
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
180 g (1 1/2 c) flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt

Frosting:
9 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
60 g (4 Tbsp) butter, at room temperature
1/4 c molasses
1/8 t ground cloves
1/8 t ground cinnamon
3 - 4 c icing sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350 F, line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Cream together butter and sugar for a few minutes in a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add in molasses, mix and then add egg, mix well.  Meanwhile mix boiled water and baking soda in a small bowl.  Add the the sugar mixture and mix.  The batter will be very thin.

Sift together the flour, spices, zest and salt in a small bowl.  Add slowly to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is combined.  Spoon the batter evenly between the muffin cups.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.  Place the cupcakes on a rack to cool.

To prepare frosting beat the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer with paddle attachment until the base is smooth and fluffy.  Mix in the molasses cinnamon and cloves.  Slowly add the icing sugar in increments of 1/2 cup. Add the icing sugar until you get a thick stable consistency.  Scrape the frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip and frost generously.