SPICED GINGERBREAD MINI CUPCAKES

Spiced Gingerbread Mini Cupcakes image

Provided by Trisha Yearwood

Categories dessert

Time 1h15m

Yield 24 mini cupcakes

Number Of Ingredients 17

Nonstick cooking spray, for the muffin tin
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for decoration, optional
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
Yellow sprinkles and sliced crystallized ginger, for decoration, optional

Steps:

For the spiced gingerbread cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
Stir together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, molasses, sour cream and egg in a large bowl until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk just to combine. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups.
Bake until puffed and a tester in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then use an offset spatula to ease them out and completely cool.
For the lemon cream cheese frosting. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth, then beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Split the cooled cupcakes in half crosswise. Spread or pipe a little filling on the cut side of each cupcake bottom. Top with the cupcake tops. Spread or pipe the remaining frosting on top of the cupcakes and decorate as desired.