GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES WITH COOKIE CUTOUTS

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cookie Cutouts image

Yield makes 22

Number Of Ingredients 16

for cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
for decorating
Gingerbread Cookie Cutouts (page 320; use 2-inch ginger-bread boy and girl cutters)
1/2 recipe Royal Icing (page 315)
Blue and pink gel-paste food colors
Fluffy Vanilla Frosting (page 302)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour and spices.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the molasses, and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 3 months, in airtight containers.
Tint 1/4 cup icing pale pink with gel-paste food color; tint remaining icing pale blue. Transfer tinted icings to pastry bags fitted with small plain tips (#2). Pipe three blue dots on the front of each gingerbread cookie boy; pipe two pink dots on gingerbread girls.
To finish, use an offset spatula to spread each cupcake with a smooth layer of frosting. Place a gingerbread boy or girl upright on each cupcake before serving.