Cinnamon Spiced Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Ginger (Recipe)

Another party, another dessert! For Lola's birthday celebration, I made Cinnamon Spiced Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing and Candied Ginger. I wanted to choose a recipe with bold flavours and unexpected pairings. I choose to make mini cupcakes, as let's be honest...everything is always better when it's mini...plus, you can eat more and not feel as guilty. Mini cupcakes are also a great idea for parties, as most guests do not want to eat a massive cupcake and much prefer a small, enjoyable treat.

In the end, the cupcakes turned out well! The combinaton of rich spices was definitely a palette pleaser, however, they were not quite as moist as I would have wanted. Also, as you can see from the picture below, I had some trouble with the frosting. For some reason, my frosting would not thicken, and as a result, it was quite runny and somewhat difficult to ice the cupcakes. Regardless of the icing troubles, they were still very yummy and the candied ginger was a perfect addition to the spiced cake.

Ingredients:

Spice Cake

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp molasses
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Garnish

• 1 cup candied ginger, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
2. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. With the mixer running, add one egg at a time, followed by the molasses and buttermilk and mix until just combined.
5. Whisk the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir until no lumps remain.
6. Line a mini muffin tin with mini cupcake liners and fill each liner 2/3 way up with batter.
7. Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when removed from the centre.
8. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
9. For the frosting: Using a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Scraped down the sides of the bowl and stir in the vanilla.
10. To assemble: Spread a layer of frosting onto each cupcake. Pour the candied ginger into a shallow baking dish and dip each frosted cupcake, shaking off any access. Serve.

Yields: 36 cupcakes

Verdict: Deliciously flavoured spice cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

Rating: 7/10