Gingerbread cupcakes
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Degree of difficulty: medium
- 125g/4ozs. butter, softened
- 65g/2.3ozs. brown sugar
- 65g/2.3ozs. molasses
- 3 eggs
- 125g/4ozs. cake flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup glace ginger pieces, finely chopped
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 125g/4ozs. cream cheese, softened
- 65g/2.3ozs. butter, softened
- 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Fondant snowmen
- 100g/3.5ozs. gum paste in white (tip: you can add CMC to fondant to make it like gum paste. Use 1 teaspoon per 250g fondant)
- 50g/1.7ozs. gum paste in red, orange and black
- Edible pink lustre dust
- A round cutter, toothpick, foam molds, paring knife, dinner fork, two paintbrushes, straw non stick board and rolling pin
- Cornflour/cornstarch to sprinkle
Note: gum paste dries quicker than fondant so we use it here to ensure that the snowmen's faces are ready in time for the cupcakes.
*To make 1 cup of cake flour, place 2 tablespoons of cornflour/cornstarch in a measuring jug and then fill with plain all purpose flour.
Step 1 - Make the snowmen first. Sprinkle some cornflour/cornstarch onto a non stick board Roll out the white gum paste using the rolling pin. Cut out 12 white circles using a round cutter. Carefully place on the centre of the foam half sphere molds.
Step 2 - Roll out the red gum paste and using the same cutter, cut out 6 rounds. Cut each round in half and then cut a small 1/4 inch section off at the end. That will be the ribbed end of the snowman's beanie. Using a slightly wet paintbrush, adhere the beanie to the white dome (the face) and then add the little strip. Gently press down on the strip with the tines of a fork. Then roll a little red ball of gum paste and stick it onto the beanie as a pom pom.
Step 3 - Roll out small balls of orange gum paste to make a narrow end to make the carrot nose. I use the toothpick to draw little lines on the carrots. Stick this to the face using a little water on the end of a paintbrush.
Step 4 - Roll out the black gum paste. Cut an inch off a plastic straw or a very tiny cutter and cut out the eyes. Stick these to the face with water too. Then take a toothpick and draw a wide smile and using a dry brush, draw some blushing cheeks. Allow to set completely.
Step 5 - Line a cupcake tray with liners and preheat oven to 160C/320F. Beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses together until pale and then beat in eggs one at a time until smooth. Measure the flour, baking powder, ginger, alllspice, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk to combine. On low speed add the flour mixture. Then add the ginger pieces. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mixture between the cupcakes. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Step 6 - Beat the cream cheese, butter icing sugar and cinnamon until fluffy and white - about 5-7 minutes. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and then lift the snowmen faces onto the frosting and it will attach using the frosting. Cream cheese frosting does need to be refrigerated and fondant doesn't refrigerate well so if you are serving them at a later time, put the faces on just before you serve it and keep the cupcakes in the fridge. Or you can use a buttercream which doesn't need to be refrigerated.