Moist, fluffy and packed with Gingerbread Spice!
Gingerbread Cupcakes iced with shelf stable cream cheese icing are a must bake for your fall festivities!
Gingerbread is definitely one of those recipes I wish would stick around all year
But for some reason we only think about it during winter!
So let’s revel in it with this low oil recipe for the cake
But um, well….icing is another story! LOL
Shelf Stable Cream Cheese Icing is my favorite for this recipe
But of course you can use whatever icing you love the most!
Turn this recipe into a simple sheet cake if you are not interested in making cupcakes!
AND WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR HOW TO MAKE IT!
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Notes for Success
This recipe will make 15 Cupcakes or 1 single 9″ x 9″ cake layer
Whichever pan size you choose just be sure to fill the batter 3/4 of the way to the top
Cocoa powder is always an addition to all my Gingerbread Recipes
You can leave it out if you want to eliminate an ingredient from the list, but I love the subtle nuance it lends!
Applesauce is used in the recipe to cut out much of the oil that is in traditional Gingerbread Cake recipes
Additionally any egg replacer you love the most will work great
I have used flax meal as well as Bob’s Red Mill equivalent to one egg
I know many people cannot get molasses which is an essential ingredient in any gingerbread recipe
Since it’s not just a sweetener, but the deep rich robust flavor it imparts is what makes gingerbread taste so darned good!
If you cannot get molasses you can substitute any other liquid sugar like Golden Syrup, Maple Syrup or even dark corn syrup will do.
Just remember sadly, that the taste will not be the true authentic gingerbread molasses experience.
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cake
- 1¾ cup All Purpose Flour (218g)
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar (50g)
- 1½ Tbs Ground Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Cloves
- 1½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Tbs Cocoa Powder *see notes
- 1 Tbs Egg Replacer *see notes
- ½ cup Molasses (118ml)
- ½ cup Applesauce unsweetened (120g)
- 4 Tbs Vegetable Oil (60ml)
- ½ cup Boiled Water (118ml)
For the Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 cups Vegan Butter (454g)
- 4 cups Confectioners Sugar (480g)
- 1 teaspoon Vegan Lactic Acid
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F & grease & prepare your cupcake pan with paper liners. I like to give them a gentle spray of pan grease since this is a lower oil recipe- this will help them release
-
In a measuring cup combine the oil, applesauce & molasses
-
In a larger mixing bowl combine the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, spices, salt, egg replacer & baking soda~ whisk or sift to combine
-
Add to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl all at once & whisk to a smooth batter, then add the other measure of hot boiling water whisking well to combine
-
Pour the batter into your prepared pan & bake immediately in the preheated 350°F oven for approximately 25-30 minutes
-
While the cupcakes are baking prepare the shelf stable cream cheese icing recipe by creaming the room temperature vegan butter on medium to high speed until light & fluffy I usually let this go for about 5 minutes
-
Add the sifted confectioners sugar & vegan lactic acid (*or apple cider vinegar if using) & mix on low speed until all is incorporated, then increase the speed to medium high and whip for 1 minute
Notes
Cocoa powder is always an addition to all my Gingerbread Recipes
You can leave it out if you want to eliminate an ingredient from the list, but I love the subtle nuance it lends! (Add 1 Tbs more flour)
Applesauce is used in the recipe to cut out much of the oil that is in traditional Gingerbread Cake recipes Additionally any egg replacer you love the most will work great~ I have used flax meal as well as Bob’s Red Mill equivalent to one egg
I know many people cannot get molasses which is an essential ingredient in any gingerbread recipe since it’s not just a sweetener, but the deep rich robust flavor it imparts is what makes gingerbread taste so darned good!
If you cannot get molasses you can substitute any other liquid sugar like Golden Syrup, Maple Syrup or even dark corn syrup will do.
Just remember sadly, that the taste will not be the true authentic gingerbread molasses experience.
Storage Gingerbread Cupcakes can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 days, for longer storage keep refrigerated up to 1 week or freeze wrapped well for up to 1 month
