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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
13 mins
Total Time
43 mins
 

Delicious, flavorful Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and delightful pretzel and white chocolate Christmas tree toppers.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 48
Author: Melissa Howell
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cupcakes
  • 1 cup butter (two sticks), room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/3 cups unsulphured molasses
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (plus more if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
For the pretzel Christmas tree toppers and coconut topping
  • 48 pretzel sticks
  • white chocolate candy melts (amount will vary)
  • candy sprinkles (any variety)
  • 1 (15 ounce) bag sweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with 48 liners.

  2. Combine boiling water and baking soda and set aside.

  3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Set aside.

  4. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy.

  5. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well-incorporated.

  6. Add the molasses and mix well. 

  7. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the water/baking soda mixture a little at a time.

  8. Divide heaping scoop-fuls of batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop. Do not overfill the liners! If you are unsure, just bake one pan first before filling the rest of your liners so you can test the amount.

  9. Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

  10. Cool completely. Then frost with the cream cheese frosting and top with shredded coconut and a pretzel Christmas tree topper.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed.

  2. Add the vanilla, salt (if using) and powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until everything is mixed in. Then beat on high speed for about two minutes. If you want thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar in small increments.

For the pretzel Christmas tree toppers:

  1. Lay out your pretzel sticks on parchment paper, about two inches apart.

  2. Melt your white chocolate on the defrost setting in your microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Transfer to a plastic sandwich bag and cut off a tiny portion of one corner of the bag.

  3. Gently squeeze the chocolate in a zig-zag fashion back and forth across the pretzel, starting a little above the pretzel (directly onto the parchment paper). 

  4. Decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate hardens.

  5. Allow to set and harden for about 30 minutes.