A 12 DAYS OF CUPCAKES PROJECT #4

*Gingerbread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting*

CONTRIBUTED BY DENISE VASAK

This delicious cupcake is just like eating a frosted gingerbread cookie.  Now that we are into December and the holiday spirit I decided to go bold with a Gingerbread Cupcake. The only issue was what goes with gingerbread as a frosting? After much discussion with my BFF Charisse, we narrowed it down to Cinnamon buttercream and Brown Sugar buttercream. As soon as I heard "brown sugar" and "frosting" I was sold. YUM! This might be my favorite frosting EVER!!! The recipe is posted below. I doubled it and got 24 cupcakes. For the buttercream one recipe was enough.  For a fun decoration, bake teeny tiny gingerbread people and have them stick up out of the cupcakes. You could also do a small dusting of powdered sugar before piping the icing on them.

Gingerbread Cupcakes (adapted from bakedbyrachel.com who adapted it from Land o'lakes)

1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C butter, softened
1/2 C water
1/3 C molasses
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a cupcake pan with liners. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together.  Add egg. Add baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Mix well.  Then add molasses. Add flour and water alternating beginning and ending with flour.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Brown Sugar Buttercream

1/2 cup of butter
1/3 cup of brown sugar (I used dark)
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups SIFTED confectioner's sugar
1 tblspn heavy whipping cream

Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Add 1 tsp of vanilla a mix.  Gradually add confectioner's sugar, mixing well after each addition. Once done, add heavy whipping cream. Add additional whipping cream until you get the consistency you want.  

Enjoy and remember to EAT DESSERT FIRST!