2015 Blogmas 2.Recipe for Christmas Ginger Spice Cupcakes

Christmas food is one of the best part of Christmas but there is still a while to wait. :( While you wait you could try making these moist, delicious and festive cupcakes.
This recipe makes around 12 large cupcakes. You can make small cupcakes and a large cake using this method but you will need to increase or decrease the cooking time to suit it.
Handheld electric mixers, stand mixers and hand tools can all be used for this recipe. Hand tools will take longer but the cake will still taste amazing if you persevere. Speeds for electric mixers will be shown in brackets.
I find that these cupcakes are good to eat on their own and don't necessarily need a topping but if you want to add one, cream cheese frosting is meant to go well with spiced cupcakes. It would make them look prettier/more presentable but these cupcakes are super moist and I personally don't think they need anything extra.

Ingredients:

115g butter, softened

100g light/dark brown sugar

1 egg, room temperature

150g dark treacle (molasses)

1tsp vanilla extract

160g plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground mixed spice

Step 5-your mixture should look something like this

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F, Gas Mark 4).
2.  Place muffin cases in the 12-hole muffin tin then move it to the side.
3. In a large bowl, using an electronic mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held rubber spatula beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy (medium speed).
4. Beat in the eggs until the mixture is combined. Keep scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure it is all mixed together.
5. Blend in the milk, vanilla and dark treacle (medium speed). It won't be fully incorporated but that it normal, so don't worry.
6. In a medium/small bowl stir the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and mixed spice in to the flour until they are completely mixed in.
7. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Put about ¼  of the mixture in each time making sure it is mixed in fully before adding more. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything gets mixed in.
8. Fill the cupcake cases, leaving around 1cm for the cakes to rise to the top of them. Anymore and the cakes will spill over the sides during baking and make it hard to get them out of the tin. I find that 2 tablespoons usually fill the cupcake cases that I use to the right height. 
9. Bake in your pre-heated over for 15-20mins or until a toothpick can be pressed into the centre of the cake and come out almost clean. 
10. Leave to cool fully before icing, frosting or eating.

 

I hope you enjoy making these and I would love to hear if they were a success. Contact details are in the 'Contact Me' section at the top of the page.
Fiona xx