Name: Gingerbread Cupcakes, small batch
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour; 1/4 tsp Baking Soda; 1/4 tsp Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger; 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves; 1/8 tsp Salt; 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature; 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar, firmly packed; 1 Large Egg, room temperature; 1/4 cup Full Flavored Molasses; 1/4 cup Buttermilk; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1 ¼ cup Powdered Sugar; 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature; 3 ½ oz Marshmallow Creme; Rainbow Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds; Food Coloring Gel

Super tender and oh-so-flavorful Small Batch Gingerbread Cupcakes! This an straightforward to mix-and-follow recipe that gives you six soft and flavorful cupcakes that are topped with a thick and creamy marshmallow buttercream frosting. They're genuinely perfect as-is or topped with a festive piped Christmas lights design!

To say I am in love with these small batch gingerbread cupcakes with marshmallow buttercream frosting would be an understatement! And thanks to some added buttermilk, they are soft, flavorful, and especially tender!

They will have your house smelling better than a holiday candle! If you've made my Super Soft Molasses Cookies, it's very much that same wonderful smell!

This method makes six cupcakes with a straightforward marshmallow buttercream frosting that comes together in minutes! And if you're feeling the festive spirit, add this Christmas lights design to the tops!

I hope you love them as much as I do! And if you make them, tag me over on Instagram (@beyond.the.butter and #Sovuh) or Facebook (@Sovuh)!

Small batch of gingerbread cupcakes on an upside down pie plate on a white background with scattered chocolate covered sunflower seeds | All Images © Sovuh

What goes in

The ingredients listed below are used to make this easy gingerbread cupcakes recipe.

All-Purpose Flour. It's an odd amount, but don't forget the 2 tablespoons!
Baking Soda and Powder. You're usual leavening agents.
Spices. The three amigos in this tasty cupcake recipe are ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
Salt. Just a pinch to help balance out the molasses flavor.
Unsalted Butter. Make sure it's room temperature.
Dark Brown Sugar. If using measuring cups, make sure this is firmly packed.
Vanilla Extract. Just a teaspoon to help round out the flavors.
Full Flavored Molasses. The key ingredient in this cupcake recipe! It is your middle-of-the-road flavored molasses that has a slight kick of bitterness to it at the end.
Buttermilk. The ingredient that helps give these gingerbread cupcakes that tender texture! It also helps balance out the molasses flavor as well.
An Egg. Just one large egg, but make it room temperature, please.

For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.

Substitutions

Browned Butter. For a little added flavor to your cupcakes, you can swap out the unsalted butter for browned butter. It needs to be cooled and solidified first before adding it to the batter.
Light Brown Sugar. It contains less molasses and won't give you that rich flavor like dark brown sugar, but it can be used in a pinch!
Light Flavored Molasses. In place of full-flavored molasses, you can choose a milder, light-flavored option. Do not use Blackstrap molasses, though; it's way too strong and not truly meant for baked goods.
House-made Buttermilk. See the House-made Buttermilk Substitutes section below.
Marshmallow Creme. I used it in the buttercream frosting, but I did not test this method using a substitute like melted marshmallows.

I did not test this method with any egg alternatives or other flour.

house-made Buttermilk Substitutes

Because we're only using a small amount of buttermilk in this method, you can use regular milk with two teaspoons of lemon juice.

Add the lemon juice to the measuring cup first, then the milk. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then add it to the batter. House-made buttermilk substitute is meant to be used immediately.

Another alternative to the buttermilk—use milk! I also tested this with sour cream (1:1), which made them equally tender.

You can also use powdered buttermilk, which you can find in the baking aisle, usually next to powdered, evaporated, and sweetened condensed milk.

Cupcake tin with decorated small batch gingerbread cupcakes with marshmallow frosting and rainbow chocolate covered sunflower seeds | All Images © Sovuh

Baker notes

Make the buttermilk first. This only applies if you're making the house-made buttermilk substitute. The reason for making it first—it needs to sit for 5 minutes before you can add it to the cupcake batter.

Don't overmix the cupcake batter. Over mixing can cause a whole slew of issues with your cupcakes as they bake. Dense, chewy cupcakes is one of them.

Use a cookie scoop. To divide out the gingerbread cupcake batter, I used a 3 tablespoon size cookie scoop. Worked like a charm.

Use an oven thermometer. While testing some cookie recipes last week I discovered my oven wasn't preheating to the correct temperature. It was about 100 degrees cooler. So, word to the wise, get yourself an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heating to the correct temperature!

Baking Spray. This is a tip when making the marshmallow buttercream frosting. Spray a little baking spray onto a spatula before scooping out your marshmallow creme. It will make your life a lot easier.

Storing your cupcakes. Gingerbread cupcakes without frosting can be made 2-3 days in advance and kept in a tightly sealed storage container at room temperature.

If the tops appear to be slightly sticky to the touch after storing, let them sit out uncovered for about 30 minutes before adding the frosting.

If high heat or humidity is an issue where you live, you can keep them stored in the refrigerator. They do tend to dry out more this way, so make sure they are in a well-sealed container!

Storing the frosting. The marshmallow buttercream frosting can be made a day ahead. Bring it out to room temperature 1-2 hours prior to frosting the cupcakes. You will need to give it a quick turn or two in the mixer to bring it back to life.

General Baking Tools Needed

Christmas Lights Cupcakes Design

This is a fun and easy Christmas lights cupcake design that doesn't require a lot of effort or experience! Just mix up the green color frosting, pipe on a curvy string, and add the candy. That's it!

Items You'll Need:

No. 2 Decorating Tip. I used my Wilton tip from their Master Decorating Tip Set. I highly recommend!
Decorating Coupler. This is what is used to help attach the decorating tip with the piping bag. They can be purchased in the tip set I mention above or separately.
Small Piping Bag. Reusable bags are a house favorite, but use what you have or are able to find.
Food Coloring Gel. Use the Wilton Color Right System, but there is also Chefmaster and McCormick.
Small Mixing Bowl. Either glass mixing bowls or metal mixing bowls will be fine. This is for mixing the frosting and food coloring gel.
Spatula. Also for mixing the food coloring gel with the frosting. A spoon can be used, but a spatula will do a better job at getting the sides of the bowl.
Rainbow Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds. This was the first time I've ever had chocolate covered sunflower seeds! Though very good, they are also somewhat of a challenge to find where I live. So I ended up ordering them online from the Kimmie Candy Company.

Green Color Formula

To achieve the green color I used as my Christmas lights string, I used about 1/3 cup of the marshmallow buttercream frosting and:

Brown (BR) – 2 drops
Blue (B) – 3 drops
Yellow (Y) – 4 drops

This formula is using the Wilton Color Right System. If you use another brand, you will want to check with what they recommend for a medium color green.

Candy Alternatives

If chocolate covered sunflower seeds are also hard to come by in your area and/or you don't want to order a 1 pound bag like I did, here are some easier-to-find alternatives!