Gingerbread Cupcakes

Tuesday 17 November 2009

Gingerbread Cupcakes


I think ginger has to be one of my favourite spices. There is nothing I like more than digging into a warm slab of tasty gingerbread . . . a sweet gingerbread cookie. My Gran made the best Molasses Cookies on the planet, filled with . . . you guessed it . . . ginger! Wow, were those ever good with an ice cold glass of milk.




My mom still makes them whenever we go home to visit and it's a real treat. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I bake them myself . . . the taste of mine never quite lives up to the memory of the taste of my Gran's or my Mom's! Funny how that goes!



When my children were growing up I used to create a huge gingerbread cookie fantasy for them every year. Sometimes it would be a house, with clear coloured candy glass windows, and a roof tiled with delicious sweets. One year I did a church, complete with stained glass candy windows. Another year it was a gingerbread Christmas Tree, with silver dragee garlands, gummy bear ornaments and other fancies all over it. In recent years I made a Ginger Cookie Wreath centre piece for my Christmas Table, which you can find HERE on my Oak Cottage Blog. It was so much fun, and looked so nice sitting on the middle of my Christmas Table.



I am sure you have the idea now . . . I just love gingerbread, in any way, shape or form.




Like these tasty cupcakes. Now these dear friends . . . are totally moreish. I think it's the lemon glaze . . . that is, well . . . the icing on the cake! (Of course the preserved ginger in syrup on the top doesn't hurt either!!)



*Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Icing*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Ohhh . . . soft, sticky and moist and chock full of lovely ginger flavour, these cupcakes are real husband *pleasers* . . . and, come to think of it, wife *pleasers* too!


60g butter (generous 4 TBS)
50g soft light brown sugar (4 TBS)
2 TBS golden syrup
2 TBS dark treacle
(If you can't get the golden and dark treacles,
do use 4 TBS mild molasses instead)
1 tsp ground ginger
80 ml whole milk (5 1/2 TBS)
1 large free range egg, beaten
2 pieces of preserved stem ginger in syrup,
drained well and chopped finely
140g self raising flour (1 cup)

For the Topping:
the juice of one lemon
(bring the lemon to room temperature and roll it on the counter
a few times under the palm of your hand before squeezing)
200g icing sugar, sifted (generous 1 1/2 cups)
1 piece of stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped
1 TBS chopped candied ginger


Pre-heat the oven to 170*C/325*F. Line a muffin tin with paper cakes and then set aside.

Place the treacles (or molasses) butter, sugar and ground ginger into a largish saucepan. Place over medium low heat and heat gently until the butter has melted and all have blended well together. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a bit.

Beat together the milk and the egg. Stir this into the warm mixture along with the stem ginger. Sift the flour over top and fold it in until well combined. Spoon into the muffin cases, dividing it equally amongst them all.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until they spring back when lightly touched, or when a skewer inserted into the centre of one comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl, removing all the pips. Gradually stir in the sifted icing sugar, stirring until smooth and thick, yet still spoonable. Spoon this icing over the cakes. Combine the chopped stem ginger and candied ginger and then sprinkle a bit over the top of each one. Let set before serving.

As you can plainly see . . . these went down a real treat!

15 comments

  1. Oh, my! Marie--you just know what I like! There's almost nothing I love more in the whole world than gingerbread and lemon sauce! I can't wait to try these "moreish" delights! (See, I'm learning!)

    ReplyDelete
  2. WOW...oh, how I'd love a bite of one of these now, Marie! Gingerbread and lemon...heavenly...definitely moreish! These are beautiful cakes...and LOVE those smiley face muffin papers! Happy Day, dear friend--LOVE YA ((BIG HUGS))

    ReplyDelete
  3. They look so delicious! I love gingerbread, but not ginger in anything else, strange really! Anyway they look so lovely and moist and i bet the lemon goes just perfectly.

    Rose

    ReplyDelete
  4. I need to get that stem ginger:) I found some..

    The happy faces are so cute too..but the white gingerbread house stole my heart.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow Marie these look amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh-Oh-Oh! How I wish I had one of those right now with my coffee!!! Ginger and Lemon, two of my most favorite things in baked goods!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, I am saving this recipe for my Jennifer, she loves to make cupcakes for the girls.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey did you ever get my email reply about the "fan page" question? Email me at amanda @ amandascookin.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I feel the same way about gingerbread, Marie. I have a marvelous recipe for gingerbread Xmas cutout cookies that have orange zest in them -- my favorites!

    I'm in rural NS. If I can't locate ginger in syrup, can I use dried crystallized ginger? (The ginger is still very soft and sugary.)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love ginger and lemon Marie and really love this ssoooooo, I printed ! yah
    huggs and kisses, gloria

    I will print your Christmas bread too!!love it
    I mail you!!!kisses

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Marie - Finally got a chance to steal the laptop back from Hubby so I can catch up with what you have been doing! Wow have you been busy this last week. Love this post, esp the picture of all the gingerbread cookies. I'm going to attemp my very first Gingerbread House this year so the church with stained glass windows is something I could aspire to. Got any pics of it to show?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sorry Chele, that was in the days before digital cameras, way back when my children were quite young. There are pictures somewhere, but they are all in the possession of my ex husband, who was not very generous in sharing. :-( (actually his new wife probably pitched them all when they got married!)

    ReplyDelete
  13. This cupcakes are perfect for the Holidays Season to come. Great designs of cupcakes. Really attractive.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Marie

    These look great!

    Are you able to advise on the difference in flavour and texture between these cupcakes and your gingerbread cake recipe? Or is there no real difference?

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have to say Fs546, they are equally as scrummy but in slightly different ways. I think the cake has more staying power, and keeps moist longer.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from you so do not be shy!


BEFORE LEAVING A COMMENT OR RATING, ASK YOURSELF:
Did you make the recipe as directed? Recipe results are not guaranteed when changes have been made.

Is this comment helpful to other readers? Rude or hateful comments will not be approved. Remember that this website is run by a real person.

Are you here to complain about ads? Please keep in mind that I develop these recipes and provide them to you for free. Advertising helps to defray my cost of doing so, and allows me to continue to post regular fresh content.

Thanks so much for your understanding! I appreciate you!