Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

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The ultimate combination of holiday flavors! Super-moist gingerbread cupcakes topped with orange mascarpone frosting.

Even without the frosting, these gingerbread cupcakes are packed with flavor. To complement their sweet gingery flavor is orange infused frosting. While most people celebrate the holidays with candy cane filled recipes, I celebrate with orange. I simply can’t get enough of this bright, juicy fruit.

I used mascarpone cheese as the base for the frosting. It’s light and velvety texture make it perfect for frosting. And it’s a better option than butter packed frostings.

Gingerbread and orange is the ultimate combination when it comes to holiday dessert. These cupcakes are some of the best I’ve ever made.

Make them for your office party, family Christmas dinner, for friends and neighbors. I’m positive you will get rave compliments!

If you are a fan of gingerbread, give my gingerbread cake a try.

• Flour: All-purpose flour is best for today’s cupcakes.
• Baking powder: The only leavening used to give the cupcakes rise.
• Spices: Salt, cinnamon, and ginger give the cupcakes flavor.
• Butter: Unsalted sweet cream butter will taste the best!
• Sugar: I prefer granulated sugar since molasses is also added. Confectioners’ sugar is used for the frosting.
• Molasses: This is another key ingredient that gives the cupcakes so much flavor.
• Egg: Only one egg is used for binding.
• Milk: Whole milk works best.
• Cheese: Cream cheese and mascarpone are used as the base for the frosting.
• Orange extract & zest: Both are used to add flavor to the frosting.

1. Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger together in a small bowl.
2. Combine the wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the molasses and egg.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix in half the dry ingredients, followed by the milk. Then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.
4. Bake. Divide the batter among 12 paper-lined muffin cups and bake until set.
5. Combine all ingredients for the frosting in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
6. Pipe frosting over cooled cupcakes as desired.

Jump to Recipe

• Measure the flour correctly by weighing it with a kitchen scale or lightly spooning it into a measuring cup, then leveling it off with the back of a knife.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix just until no dry streaks of flour are visible.
• Don’t overbake. Overbaking can lead to dry cupcakes. Bake just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, no wet batter.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

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The ultimate combination of holiday flavors! Super-moist gingerbread cupcakes topped with orange mascarpone frosting.

Jen Sobjack

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (113 g) unsulphured molasses
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• ½ cup (120 ml) milk, at room temperature

For the frosting

• 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, softened
• 8 ounces (226 g) mascarpone cheese, softened
• 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

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Instructions

Make the cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir with a whisk.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the molasses and egg. Add half of the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, stir until combined. Stir in the milk followed by the remaining flour mixture.
• Fill the muffin cups ¾ full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcake to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting:

•  Whip the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar, orange extract, and orange zest until smooth and fluffy. Spread the frosting over each cupcake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 706IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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