Gingerbread Cupcakes with Spiced White Chocolate Buttercream
Make delicious gingerbread cupcakes with spiced white chocolate buttercream frosting! This recipe is perfect for Christmas and holiday baking.
I’ll be honest about my relationship with gingerbread: we have a shaky past. I used to be more of a picky eater when I was younger, and certain flavors were overwhelming to me back in the day.
For example, grapefruit was a no-go. Too sour. Same with olives. And ginger was very similar. I didn’t really enjoy anything with ginger in it, even desserts. It just always seemed like such a strong spice!
Kind of like how olives can overwhelm a pizza. Sorry . . . I still don’t like olives.
However, I do love ginger now, especially in my baked goods. A little goes a long way, but it adds such an amazing flavor and seems to enhance the others. For a good example, try my gingerbread muffins or gingerbread bundt cake.
Anyhoo, it was time to try another ginger-y dessert recipe and make a Christmas cupcake you guys would love. And that recipe is gingerbread cupcakes. With spiced white chocolate buttercream icing.
These unique cupcakes feature a gentle ginger flavor that tastes warm and makes me think of the holidays.
The white chocolate frosting just makes them even better, and I’m really happy with how they turned out. They’re not only tasty, but pretty easy to make.
Before you get started making the goods, you’ll want to gather the ingredients. Here’s what you’re going to need.
For the Cupcakes
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the White Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Never overbeat ingredients when making baked goods. Mix everything until just combined, and then leave it and don’t keep beating or mixing. Overbeating adds extra air to the batter, which can cause the cupcakes to rise and then sink.
Powdered sugar gives the icing structure. If your icing is too soft or runny, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too stiff, feel free to add a tablespoon of milk.
You’re really going to love these gingerbread cupcakes. And if you really love yourself, you’ll get a piping bag or decorator gun kit so that your icing can look fancy on top of your cuppies. It makes them pretty!
Are you ready to try this tasty Christmas dessert? Get the printable recipe card below!
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 stick
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips melted, and cooled
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, molasses, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until they are just combined. You don’t want to overmix.
- Divide the batter between the tins, filling each one ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack before frosting.
For the White Chocolate Buttercream
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar. Mix until all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated.
- Add the white chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
- Frost as desired and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this tasty gingerbread dessert, let me know in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out these other cupcake recipes:
Candy Corn • Fall Owl • Pumpkin • Red Velvet
