You wouldn't believe these gingerbread cupcakes contain only five ingredients! They look elegant but are simple to make and eat! A gingerbread spice cupcake is topped with a rich and creamy cream cheese frosting. Happy winter! (GF, DF, SF, NF, Egg Free, Vegan, Vegetarian)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly line and grease your cupcake liners. then set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the cake mix, milk, molasses and eggs in a bowl. Stir until smooth, then fill muffins cups approximately ⅔ of the way full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean or the cupcake bounces back lightly when pressed.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Spice Cake Mix
The start of these amazing cupcakes starts with spice cake mix. There are a couple of different types that you can use. Spice cake can easily be found at your local grocery store but if you're needing a special diet, you might need to order it.
There are a couple issues that might arise when making this recipe.
Weight of the molasses. The weight of the molasses can make it so the cupcakes don't rise as well. Because molasses has such a high sugar content, it wants to weigh down your cupcakes. Even if they do weigh the cupcakes down a little, the taste is still amazing and makes it easier to frost.
Milk: Using buttermilk or milk is the best for this recipe. It won't weigh the recipe down as much.
Storage: Cupcakes will store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. If they are frosted with cream cheese frosting, you will want to store them in the refrigerator.
Can the dough chill overnight? Yes, you can totally make up the dough and then chill it overnight. Jus t store it in an airtight container then stir prior to baking.
Frosting
To make the frosting: In a mixing bowl, whip together 8 oz of room temperature cream cheese, ½ cup room temperature butter, 3-4 cups powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Pipe or frost frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Top with a mini gingerbread cookie and sprinkles if desired. Note: You can substitute dairy free butter or dairy free cream cheese if desired.