Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream Recipe
Molasses and spice filled cupcakes baked moist and tender, topped with melt in your mouth eggnog buttercream with lots of eggnog flavor! These cupcakes are my new go to holiday recipe for bake sales, get-togethers or as gifts - and they always impress!
How to Make the Best Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream
These gingerbread cupcakes with eggnog buttercream are the perfect holiday dessert that brings together two classic seasonal flavors in one delightful treat. The spiced gingerbread cupcakes are moist, tender, and packed with warm autumn spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, while the luxurious eggnog buttercream frosting adds a rich, creamy layer of holiday indulgence.
What makes these cupcakes truly special is the combination of molasses and applesauce, which creates an incredibly moist crumb that stays tender even after a day or two. The eggnog buttercream is smooth, dreamy, and captures that distinctive holiday eggnog flavor without being too heavy. Whether you’re making them for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or as gifts for neighbors and friends, these cupcakes are sure to impress everyone who tries them.
These festive treats are especially popular during the Christmas season, but they’re delicious enough to make year-round whenever you’re craving that warm spice and creamy eggnog combination. Bake a batch today and enjoy the compliments that are sure to follow!
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream
Molasses and spice filled cupcakes baked moist and tender, topped with melt in your mouth eggnog buttercream with lots of eggnog flavor! These cupcakes are my new go to holiday recipe for bake sales, get-togethers or as gifts - and they always impress!
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Eggnog Buttercream
Instructions
Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake tins with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and molasses until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and mix until combined.
- Stir in applesauce, then add egg and vanilla extract, beating until well incorporated.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Eggnog Buttercream
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, eggnog, and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, beat room temperature butter and confectioners sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the cooled eggnog mixture to the butter mixture, beating continuously until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Pipe or spread the eggnog buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg or crushed gingersnaps if desired.
Notes
- These cupcakes can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container.
- The frosting is best applied to cupcakes that have been completely cooled.
- For extra spiced flavor, add an extra teaspoon of ground ginger to the cupcake batter.
- Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.