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    Gingerbread Cupcakes

    12/11/2017 by thebakingexplorer 57 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    What better way to begin celebrating the Christmas season than with these Gingerbread Cupcakes. Gingerbread flavour and gingerbread men just scream Christmas, they make me feel so festive and ready to curl up under a blanket on the sofa. I've infused these gingerbread cupcakes with ground ginger and mixed spice for that classic gingerbread flavour, as well as golden syrup and treacle. There's also ground ginger in the buttercream for extra yum! These Gingerbread Cupcakes are absolutely yummy and just looking at them makes me so excited for Christmas! They taste just like gingerbread biscuits in cupcake form, and they look super cute with the little men on top.

    Gingerbread Cupcakes

    Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

    • Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter, milk and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
    • If you can't find light brown soft sugar, you can use all caster sugar for the cupcakes instead.
    • It's much easier to weight the golden syrup and black treacle directly into the pan, with the scales underneath the pan. You can also dip your spoon into vegetable oil and then scoop out the syrup or treacle - it will then slide right off the spoon!
    • The little gingerbread men decorations I used are from a brand called Culpitt. I got them on Amazon. You could also decorate with small gingerbread biscuits, or crushed gingernuts.
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    How to make Gingerbread Cupcakes

    Start by melting the butter, light brown sugar, black treacle and golden syrup together in a pan on a low heat. Let it cool for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Then add the melted butter mixture to the eggs, whisking as you pour.

    In another bowl, stir together the self raising flour, ground ginger and mixed spice. Then add the butter/egg mixture and whisk everything together well.

    Divide the mixture into cupcakes cases and then baked them until they are golden brown and risen.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    Gingerbread Cupcakes

    How long do the cupcakes last for and can they be frozen?

    The cupcakes will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze both the cupcakes and the buttercream (but do not freeze the fondant gingerbread men). To freeze them separately, wrap the cupcakes well in cling film or put them in an airtight container. The buttercream can be frozen in a sealed tub. To freeze them decorated, freeze the cupcakes on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Remove the clingfilm when you take the cupcakes out of the freezer to defrost, as if they defrost with it still on it could damage the buttercream.

    Can you make the cupcakes with plain/all purpose flour?

    Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

    Can the cupcakes be made gluten or dairy free?

    Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp Xantham Gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for the cupcakes and the buttercream.

    Can this recipe be made into a larger cake?

    If you would like to make a this recipe into a cake, check out my Gingerbread Cake recipe!

    Gingerbread Cupcakes

    More tips for making the Gingerbread Cupcakes:

    • The shiny red cupcake cases I used are from a brand called Culpitt.
    • I used a Jem 1E nozzle to pipe on the buttercream.
    • The little star sprinkles are from a festive mix I got from Tesco a few years ago.

    Troubleshooting

    If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

    Recommended equipment & ingredients*

    • Cupcake tin
    • Electric hand mixer
    • Piping bags
    • Cooling rack
    • Jem 1E Piping nozzle
    • Red foil cupcake cases
    • Gingerbread fondant toppers
    • Mixed spice

    *I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

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    Gingerbread Cupcakes

    Gingerbread Cupcakes

    Gingerbread sponge, gingerbread buttercream and fondant gingerbread men
    5 from 18 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: Cupcake
    Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Author: thebakingexplorer

    Ingredients

    For the cupcakes

    • 100 g Butter or baking spread
    • 100 g Light brown sugar
    • 115 g Golden syrup
    • 35 g Black treacle (also known as molasses)
    • 2 Eggs large
    • 125 ml Milk
    • 200 g Self raising flour
    • 1 tbsp Ground ginger
    • 1 tsp Mixed spice

    For the buttercream

    • 200 g Butter
    • 400 g Icing sugar
    • 1 ½ tsp Vanilla
    • 1 ½ tsp Ground ginger
    • ½ tbsp Milk optional, if the buttercream needs loosening

    For the decoration

    • Gingerbread man fondant shapes optional
    • Sprinkles optional
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and line a cupcake tin with cases
    • Melt the butter, golden syrup, light brown sugar and black treacle together in a pan on a low heat. Once it is all melted and combined, leave to cool for 10 minutes
    • Whisk the eggs and milk together in a mixing bowl
    • Slowly pour the butter and syrup mixture into the eggs, whisking as you pour, until everything is combined
    • In another bowl, stir together the self raising flour, ground ginger and mixed spice
    • Slowly pour the egg and butter mixture into the flour, whisking as your pour, until everything is combined
    • Divide the mixture equally between the cupcakes cases
    • Bake them for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, remove them from the tin and place them on a cooling rack to cool down fully
    • To make the buttercream use an electric hand mixer to beat together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract and ground ginger until smooth. You may need to add a splash of milk to loosen it, depending on the type of butter you use
    • Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cupcakes, then add gingerbread man icing shapes and sprinkles if desired
    • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days
    Made this recipe?Share on Instagram with me @TheBakingExplorer or tag #thebakingexplorer!

    Video

    Notes

    Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing Cinnamon, Coriander Seed, Nutmeg, Clove, Pimento, Ginger. If you can't get hold of it, use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead

    Nutrition

    Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 683IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg

    If you like this, check out more of my Cupcake recipes!

    Or you might like my Christmas recipes!

    The recipe and photos for this post were updated in October 2020.

    « Double Chocolate Cheesecake (No Bake)
    Celebrations Rocky Road »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Life Diet Health

      November 12, 2017 at 5:43 pm

      Oh how so absolutely adorable. My son loves gingerbread men (we just had to watch the dvd & yes it is really a thing - totally different to the story with the fox!) I think these might have to appear at our afternoon tea next weekend! Thanks so much for sharing (& linking) to Fiesta Friday ☺

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:14 pm

        Thank you! I do hope you enjoy them 🙂

        Reply
    2. Trupti Kharche

      November 13, 2017 at 10:56 am

      These are super cute and love the flavours of ginger and mixed spices. Perfect for the coming holidays... Thank you for sharing with FF. 🙂

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:22 pm

        Thank you Trupti! I agree, they are a perfect holiday bake.

        Reply
    3. Angela / Only Crumbs Remain

      November 13, 2017 at 3:03 pm

      These are just adoreable Kate! I couldn't agree more - they really do shout out Christmas and festive yumminess 🙂 Thankyou so much for joining in with #BakingCrumbs again this month 🙂
      Angela x

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:27 pm

        Thanks for hosting Angela!

        Reply
    4. Cat

      November 13, 2017 at 8:06 pm

      These are so incredibly cute and sound like they would be delicious x

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:28 pm

        Thank you Cat!

        Reply
    5. Kate - gluten free alchemist

      November 13, 2017 at 8:08 pm

      So cute Kat! gorgeous Autumn flavours too. I love them and your piping always looks so perfect. x

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:28 pm

        Awh thank you Kate!

        Reply
    6. jenny paulin

      November 14, 2017 at 8:56 pm

      5 stars
      These cupcakes are so cute Kat - I adore the little gingerbread men on each one. I love a ginger cupcake or muffin or cake actually lol. A ginger cake is on my to do list funnily enough! Thank you for linking to #Bakeoftheweek x

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:31 pm

        Me too Jenny, I love anything gingerbread!

        Reply
    7. Jacqui Bellefontaine

      November 15, 2017 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      How cute are these! simply adorable. Im pinning for later

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:32 pm

        Thanks Jacqui!

        Reply
    8. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food

      November 15, 2017 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, my goodness! Ginger in the buttercream?! That sounds absolutely delicious. These do just scream Christmas. I love gingerbread and so does the hubster, so these are HAPPENING.

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:33 pm

        Thanks Michelle! Let me know what you think!

        Reply
    9. Julie McPherson

      November 15, 2017 at 5:42 pm

      These incredibly festive gingerbread cupcakes are adorable, how could anyone resist. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor. 🙂

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:33 pm

        Thank you so much Julie!

        Reply
    10. Dina

      November 16, 2017 at 8:44 am

      So cute!

      Greets from Greece 🙂
      https://dinamighty.com/

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:34 pm

        Thanks Dina!

        Reply
    11. Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery

      November 18, 2017 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      These are adorable!!! Love love gingerbread any time of year but especially now and especially in cake form! YUM!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:38 pm

        Thank you so much! Me too, I love gingerbread!

        Reply
    12. Angie Rose

      November 19, 2017 at 10:04 pm

      Hi Kat! These are adorable and they look super delicious! My fiancé loves anything gingerbread. I bet he'd love these! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Dishing It & Digging It & congratulations on being featured this week!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:37 pm

        Thank you so much for featuring me!

        Reply
    13. Kirsty Hijacked By Twins

      November 20, 2017 at 7:11 pm

      Oh Kat what cute little cupcake toppers! These cakes sound so good, we all love gingerbread! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:39 pm

        I couldn't resist them! Thank you!

        Reply
    14. Jere Cassidy

      November 21, 2017 at 8:21 pm

      These cupcakes are seriously cute. Love gingerbread.

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2017 at 8:34 pm

        Thanks Jere!

        Reply
    15. johanna @ green gourmet giraffe

      December 01, 2017 at 10:47 am

      these are really cute - never seen those sprinkles but would be so tempted if I did - and I love the way your used them on these cupcakes

      Reply
    16. Bhavna Vaswani

      December 08, 2017 at 3:24 am

      hi there - i would love to try out your recipe! but im not sure if i know what golden syrup is, or mixed spice? could you help me out with those two? i dont live in the states and would have to hunt for those ingredients in my neck of the ....cant say woods...more like tropics - LOL!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        December 10, 2017 at 11:33 am

        Hi there! Mixed spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger and mace. You could just put a 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves instead. For the golden syrup you can use honey, maple syrup or corn syrup instead. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    17. Sally

      May 18, 2020 at 8:37 pm

      5 stars
      I made these for my mum at Christmas and she loved them!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        May 18, 2020 at 10:30 pm

        Aww that's great, thank you!

        Reply
    18. Sophie

      October 20, 2020 at 4:57 pm

      5 stars
      Made these cakes today and they are DELICIOUS! Not too sweet, not too gingery. Perfect!

      Reply
    19. Emma Mcclair-Burgess

      November 26, 2020 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Made these at the weekend, they are incredible! So light and fluffy! Even my ginger skeptical husband loved them! Delicious! Great recipes from the baking explorer! I love your site, well done!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 26, 2020 at 1:07 pm

        Thank you so much for the lovely feedback Emma! I'm so pleased you both enjoyed the cupcakes 😀

        Reply
    20. laura shaw

      November 27, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      hi - love the recipe - can you freeze these cupcakes ? will they stand up to being defrosted and still be as yummy ?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 27, 2020 at 5:53 pm

        Hi, yes you can freeze them with or without the buttercream 🙂

        Reply
    21. Steph

      December 03, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely gorgeous cupcakes! Made them for my weekly work bake and they were demolished! Super fluffy sponge with the perfect amount of spice, I will 100% be making these again! 🥰

      Reply
    22. Amy nichole

      December 16, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      Made these cupcakes last night and they are amazing! Would love to use this recipe to make a cake, any advice on how to adjust the recipe for a cake rather than cupcakes??

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        December 16, 2020 at 9:40 pm

        Hi Amy, so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! Yes I have a cake recipe version here: https://thebakingexplorer.com/gingerbread-cake-with-ginger-buttercream/

        Reply
    23. Rachel Wilson

      November 07, 2021 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      These are among the most delicious cupcakes I have ever tasted, let alone baked! An absolute hit, perfect for both Bonfire Night and as a festive bake. I can’t wait to make them again!
      The recipe worked brilliantly and produced exactly 12 cupcakes. Totally reliable, as always. Thank you 🥰

      Reply
    24. Helen

      November 12, 2021 at 11:13 am

      5 stars
      Made these yesterday and they are absolutely delicious. Definitely going on my Christmas baking list. Thanks for sharing such a lovely recipe.

      Reply
    25. Deborah

      December 21, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Kat. These are a showstopper! 💕Easy recipe to follow. Just the right size. Baked for 21 mins. Very tasty and the sponge was light, moist and fluffy. Perfect balance of ingredients for deliciousness! I filled with homemade caramel sauce for an extra surprise when a bite is taken. Fabulous flavour to the buttercream also. Thank you for sharing. 😋

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        December 21, 2021 at 5:08 pm

        Thank you so much Deborah, I'm so happy you liked them and the caramel filling is a fabulous idea!

        Reply
    26. Callum (GleniBakes)

      December 25, 2021 at 8:24 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for such a absolutely brilliant recipe as always, tastes delicious just the right amount of spices. Would highly recommend this recipe especially at Christmas time!

      Reply
    27. Laura

      April 07, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      Another really easy to follow recipe with great results!

      Reply
    28. Ellie

      November 25, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      Love love love this recipe! Always my go to for gingerbread cake mix! So simple and easy to follow just like all other recipes from the baking explorer 🙂

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 25, 2022 at 1:10 pm

        Thanks so much Ellie!!

        Reply
    29. Georgie

      November 26, 2022 at 2:05 am

      Can you help me trouble shoot please? I’ve made these twice now and carefully checked everything! They rose beautifully in the over and looked great when I pulled them out, but as they cooled, they sunk (to be level) and were quite dense and stodgy when I cut them open. All the advice online wouldn’t really apply to this recipe as it’s not your traditional way of making cake. What am I doing wrong!?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        November 27, 2022 at 5:59 pm

        Hi Georgie, there could be a few reasons why this is happening: your oven is too hot - some ovens run hotter than the dial says, so try turning the temp down a little bit and see if that changes things. Too much raising agent added - are you using self raising flour or a mix of plain flour and baking powder? If you're adding baking powder it could be too much as it can make cupcakes rise too fast, then sink as they can't support the rise. Over mixing - you don't need to use an electric mixer for this recipe, a hand whisk will do the job and will avoid any over mixing happening. I hope that helps but do let me know if you have any further questions! Ps. If you haven't already watched my recipe video it could help to watch and see my exact process.

        Reply
    30. Georgina Adey

      December 03, 2022 at 1:05 pm

      Thanks for replying! So I tried it again with new SR flour and it was PERFECT! my flour had gone out of date but I hadn’t realised so that must have been the problem. Thanks!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        December 03, 2022 at 11:25 pm

        Hi Georgina, I'm so happy you solved the issue and the cupcakes came out perfect for you! Thanks SO much for updating me - I really appreciate it!!

        Reply
    31. Bev

      December 23, 2022 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      Only found this recipe a few weeks ago and the cakes are so good that I'm making them for everyone,without them asking, so they can enjoy them as much as I do. Absolutely delicious.

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        December 29, 2022 at 9:28 pm

        I'm so happy you like it so much Bev, and what lucky friends you have!

        Reply
    32. Lisa

      January 26, 2023 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      I have made these at least 6 times now, we absolutely love them, the ginger flavour is subtle. A 10/10 from my family .

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        January 26, 2023 at 10:38 pm

        Oh wow thank you Lisa, I'm so happy to hear you've made them so many times!

        Reply

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