Candied Ginger Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipes

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the egg until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the milk, molasses, and vanilla on medium speed. Mixture will be piecey and not fully combined. That's ok.
• In a medium bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full, no more. Bake for 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
• Prepare cream cheese frosting. Frost cooled cupcakes immediately before serving. Unfrosted cupcakes remain fresh covered tightly at room temperature for 2 days. Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES WITH CARAMELIZED MANGO BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Make the ginger syrup: Combine the granulated sugar, fresh ginger and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the syrup before using.
• Meanwhile, make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves into a medium bowl.
• Whisk the melted butter, vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, molasses and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
• Fill each paper liner with cup batter, about 1/4 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tops liberally with the ginger syrup. Let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• Make the buttercream: Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mangoes and cook until caramelized and soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Pass the mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard the solids.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on high speed until creamy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
• Spray a heatproof measuring cup with cooking spray. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 238 degrees F to 242 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour the syrup into the measuring cup to halt the cooking.
• Add a small amount of the sugar syrup to the beaten egg yolks, turn the mixer on to high speed and beat for about 5 seconds. Continue stopping the mixer, adding syrup and beating until all of the syrup is incorporated. Beat the mixture until it is completely cool.
• Add the remaining 2 cups butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more. When all of the butter has been blended in, add the vanilla and the mango puree and beat until combined.
• Frost the top of each cupcake liberally with the mango buttercream and garnish with the candied ginger.

SPICED GINGERBREAD MINI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the spiced gingerbread cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Stir together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, molasses, sour cream and egg in a large bowl until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk just to combine. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups.
• Bake until puffed and a tester in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then use an offset spatula to ease them out and completely cool.
• For the lemon cream cheese frosting. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth, then beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Split the cooled cupcakes in half crosswise. Spread or pipe a little filling on the cut side of each cupcake bottom. Top with the cupcake tops. Spread or pipe the remaining frosting on top of the cupcakes and decorate as desired.

CANDIED GINGER-GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for cupcakes, blending 2 Tbsp. each crystallized ginger and molasses into batter before spooning into 22 paper-lined muffin pan cups; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Beat in sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add remaining molasses; mix well. Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate at least 30 min.
• Spoon frosting into piping bag fitted with large round tip. Insert tip into top of each cupcake to pipe about 1 Tbsp. frosting into center of cupcake. Spread tops of cupcakes with remaining frosting.
• Top with remaining crystallized ginger.