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    Urban Bliss Life » All Recipes » Gingerbread Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

    Published: December 28, 2010 / Updated: January 26, 2023 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Gingerbread Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

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    These cupcakes are full of rich delicious baking spices perfect for the holidays or any day of the year! Topped with a decadent mocha buttercream frosting. So good!

    Gingerbread Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting recipe

    For our Christmas Eve dinner one year, I was just about to make some Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcakes, when I decided at the last minute that I needed to make something more infused with holiday spirit -- and holiday flavors.  So I grabbed some extra ingredients and whipped up a batch of gingerbread cupcakes instead. They turned out great!

    I've since made this recipe several times. It's fantastic all year round - not just the holidays!

    For this recipe, feel free to use more or less of the spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves) as your palette prefers. I love the taste of ginger (and the smell of gingerbread baking!) so I used a healthy amount.

    Mocha Buttercream Frosting

    I've noticed that a lot of gingerbread cupcake recipes include a lemon cream cheese frosting, so I made a batch with some lemon buttercream frosting as well. However, for me, the lemon flavor can be overpowering and a little too zesty when paired with gingerbread. The sweetness of the mocha definitely helps balance out the ginger spice mix of these cupcakes.

    Make it gluten-free

    One reader, Chris, posted how she made these cupcakes gluten-free: "Made them using Bob's Red Mill GF All-Purpose flour + 1 tsp xanthan gum, otherwise followed your recipe exactly. NOM NOM NOM." - Chris

    More baking recipes you'll love

    • The Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies
    • Mini Gingerbread Bundt Cakes
    • Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Frosting
    gingerbread cupcakes with mocha frosting.

    Gingerbread Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting

    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
    Total Time: 35 minutes mins
    Recipe by Marlynn Schotland
    Rich, delicious cupcakes with a coffee-flavored buttercream frosting
    Servings: 12 cupcakes
    Calories: 826kcal
    PRINT PIN RATE

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer

    Ingredients

    For the Cupcakes:

    • 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup molasses
    • 3 eggs
    • 2⅔ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    For the Frosting

    • 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
    • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon milk
    • 2 tablespoons vanilla
    • 1 - 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 3 tablespoons of hot water
    • 3 tablespoons of Dutch processed cocoa powder

    Instructions

    Make the Cupcakes

    • Preheat oven to 350° degrees.
    • Lightly grease one 12 cup muffin/cupcake tin or line with cupcake liners.
    • In a mixer on medium speed, mix the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar until light and fluffy, stopping to scrap the mixture from the sides a couple of times in between. Slowly add in molasses. Then add one egg at a time and mix until combined.
    • In a separate large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour through salt) well with a whisk.
    • Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly add in ¼ of the dry mixture until mostly blended, then add ¼ cup of milk, then alternate adding dry mixture and milk until completely blended. Add vanilla and mix until just blended.
    • Scoop cupcake mix into prepared muffin tins, filling each about ¾ full. You will have some left over for 3 – 5 regular size cupcakes in another batch, so if you have 2 muffin tins you can bake those at the same time, or simply do two batches.
    • Bake at 350° degrees for 20-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
    • Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling racks to cool completely.

    Make the Frosting

    • In a standing mixer, mix butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, and salt until just blended.
    • Add milk and vanilla.
    • Add remaining powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until all blended.
    • Add the dissolved instant coffee.
    • Add powdered cocoa powder. Turn mixer to high speed and mix frosting until it is smooth & fluffy.
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment! Then snap a pic of your dish and share it on social media. Tag @UrbanBlissLife and #UrbanBlissLife!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 826kcal | Carbohydrates: 113g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 89g | Vitamin A: 1277IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

      More about me →

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