'Tis the Season....Well, Almost

Gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream

I've always loved taking store bought cake mixes and making them better. This cupcake is a fabulous example of that. This delightful little treat started out life as a yellow cake mix. Yup. Who knew those box mixes could create something that fantastic? Even better, the folks at work would never have guessed that it wasn't entirely homemade!

Gingerbread Cupcakes
1 box of yellow cake mix
1/2 C dark molasses
1 T cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t allspice
2 t ginger

Prepare yellow cake mix as directed on box. Once the mix is just barely combined, add remaining ingredients. Stir only enough to incorporate ingredients. Over mixing the batter makes for tough cupcakes! Preheat the oven and fill the prepared cupcake tins with about 3-4 tablespoons of batter. (They should be about 3/4 full) I usually bake my cupcakes for the lower end of the recommended baking time, so they are just barely done. While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, prepare the frosting.

Cinnamon Buttercream
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 C shortening
6 C powdered sugar
Up to 1/2 C milk
1 T vanilla extract
3 T cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and shortening. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all the sugar is in the mixture should look dry and crumbly. Basically, it should look nothing like delicious frosting at this point. Add the vanilla and cinnamon, then while the mixer is turning, slowly begin to add the milk. Continue to beat the frosting and add milk until it reaches the consistency you desire. I tend to like the frosting to be a little more stiff as it will hold the sharp corners a little better when decorating. The amount of milk you add is dependent on how stiff you want the frosting, but also on how humid the day is and any number of other factors including, but not limited to, the full moon, your kids distracting you so you pour in too much, how close your mixer is to the hot oven, etc.

Once you have the frosting to your desired stiffness and the cupcakes are sufficiently cool (and I mean cool, any vestiges of remaining heat will melt the frosting into a runny mess) you can start decorating the cupcakes.

I usually find a large star tip and a reinforced pastry bag work best with the stiffer frostings, and is how I achieved the look above. Play around with different pastry tips to find your own signature swirl, or just grab a butter knife and start spreading!

As always, happy cupcaking!