Belated Blogmas Day 17: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

So for part two of mine and Gabbie's Christmas bakes we made gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. All the Christmas flavours. They're so sweet but so moreish. My piping skills aren't that great, but if you're a dab hand at it, you can make these look truly stunning. 

Ingredients

200g plain flour

2 tbsp ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

340g butter

300g caster sugar

3 tbsp molasses (or honey / treacle / maple syrup / muscavado sugar) 

4 eggs (at room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla extract 

For the Frosting

500g icing sugar

113g cream cheese

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

2-4 tbsp double cream. 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C . Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. 

 2. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. 

3. Add molasses (or substitute). Beat until combined. 

4.Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each one until incorporated. 

5. Beat in vanilla. Gradually mix in flour mixture until combined. 

6. Divide the mixture evenly among the cases, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. 

7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. 

8. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.Add vanilla, cinnamon and 2 tbsp heavy cream and mix until smooth. Gradually mix in the icing sugar. 

9. Spread or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and store in an airtight container. 

These are packed full of all the flavours that resonate with Christmas. It's literally Christmas in your mouth when you're eating these!.