These indulgent chocolate gingerbread cupcakes are topped with a gingerbread buttercream frosting. Garnishing these cupcakes is a smooth and delicious ganache.
Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes
Gingerbread is a holiday classic and chocolate is an all-time classic flavor that's perfect for any time of the year. With this delicious mashup, you get warm and comforting flavors with the delicious indulgent flavors of chocolate!
The combination of the spices that makes gingerbread as delicious as it is along with the addition of melted semi-sweet chocolate creates a cupcake with a soft and fluffy texture that is rich in chocolate flavor.
What Ingredients Are in Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes?
- All-purpose flour
- Brown Sugar - I use dark
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Spices - Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
- Salt
- Milk
- Salted Butter - for the cupcakes and the gingerbread frosting
- Vanilla Extract
- Molasses - for the cupcakes and the frosting
- Egg
- Semi-sweet chocolate squares - for the cupcakes and the ganache
- Confectioner's Sugar - for the frosting
- Heavy Cream - for the ganache
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Baking Tools to Make Cupcakes
How to Make the Cupcakes
The first step to creating these cupcakes is to preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
It is best to use room temperature salted butter to make these cupcakes and will surely make beating the batter much easier and the ingredients will incorporate easier and better.
The butter is creamed with brown sugar. I use dark brown sugar but you can use light brown sugar if you prefer. Beat the mixture until it is creamy.
Next, the molasses and vanilla extract are added into the batter and beaten until it is mixed well.
The egg is then added and beaten into the cupcake batter until combined.
In a large bowl the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are then mixed together and set aside.
At this time the semi-sweet chocolate squares are melted following the melting directions according to your chocolate of choice. Set the melted chocolate aside and allow to cool.
Slowly beat the flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time.
After adding about half of the flour mixture, add the cooled melted chocolate to the batter.
Add the remaining flour to the batter followed by the milk.
The batter will be very thick for these chocolate gingerbread cupcakes and that is okay! They will have a wonderful gingerbread texture after baking.
Divide the cupcake batter equally between 12 liners before baking. As stated above, the batter will be very thick and using a cookie scoop will make it easy to equally divide the batter.
One these cupcakes are baked in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes they are removed and allow to cool completely before frosting.
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Gingerbread Frosting
This frosting is a perfect match for these chocolate gingerbread cupcakes. It has the wonderful seasonal flavors you would expect along with the rich flavors of chocolate.
To make these cupcakes even better, top these cupcakes with the rich and smooth ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
Adding the chocolate ganache to these cupcakes isn't necessary but it rounds out the flavors in this cupcake and puts this cupcake over the top in flavors.
Making the ganache is so simple and only takes 2 ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips or squares and heavy cream.
To make the ganache you will need a small saucepan to heat the heavy cream and a heatproof bowl to add the chocolate to.
The heavy cream is heated over the medium heat until bubbly. Once it is bubbly the heavy cream is then poured over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for a minute or two before stirring.
Once it is stirred allow the ganache to cool before drizzling it over the gingerbread frosting.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter - room temperature
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup milk
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate squares or chips - melted
Gingerbread Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter - softened
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2-4 tablespoon milk - to add as needed
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or squares
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
- Beat together the melted butter, molasses, and brown sugar.
- Add in the egg and beat until mixed.
- In a large bowl, the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are then mixed together and set aside.
- The semi-sweet chocolate squares are melted following the melting directions according to your chocolate of choice.
- Set the melted chocolate aside and allow it to cool.
- Slowly beat the flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time.
- After adding about half of the flour mixture, add the cooled melted chocolate to the batter.
- Add the remaining flour to the batter followed by the milk.
- The batter will be very thick for these chocolate gingerbread cupcakes and that is okay! They will have a wonderful gingerbread texture after baking.
- Divide the cupcake batter equally between 12 liners before baking. As stated above, the batter will be very thick, and using a cookie scoop will make it easy to equally divide the batter.
- Once these cupcakes are baked in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes they are removed and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Gingerbread Frosting
- Beat together the softened butter and the molasses until creamy.
- Beat in the ginger and the confectioners sugar.
- The frosting will be thick, add the milk 2 tablespoons at a time until the frosting is smooth and soft enough to pipe.
- Frost the cupcakes using a piping tip and bag.
Chocolate Ganache
- Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan just until a low boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips or squares.
- Allow it sit for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.
- Stir the chocolate until smooth.
- Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the frosting.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
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