Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Glaze and Mascarpone Buttercream are gingerbread based with both a glaze and a frosting!
Dear Santa,
You’ll be coming my way in a few weeks and I’m sure you’ll be stopping by as I have been a very good girl this year.
Well, I’ve been good by my standards. 😀
I was good at not punching people at Target for going too slow and taking up the whole aisle so I couldn’t get around them.
Speaking of Target Santa, I was good at going in for one thing and somehow buying $100 worth of stuff often leaving the store without what I went in for.
I was good at going through…wait for it 114 pounds of butter this year.
Yes I keep track.
I know you are half horrified and half impressed. 😛
Was good at eating my own weight in Swedish Fish…that’s a skill Santa let me tell you.
I was good at putting the laundry into piles and then hoping for them to fold themselves.
They don’t in case you were wondering.
I was good (the dog helped too) at giving our vet so much money that they might be able to open a new wing under our name or at least buy a new boat.
A really, really nice boat.
See I was so good at many things Santa…clearly you are going to bring me something nice right?
Another thing I did right was make these Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Glaze and Mascarpone Buttercream.
Yes they are beyond cute.
No I did not make those little gingerbread men.
I bought them last year on clearance they day after Christmas and have been waiting to get to use them.
They are made by Wilton and I’m not sure if they are around or not.
If you are super skilled with fondant I bet you could make them on your own.
Personally, I do not possess any of those kind of talents.
I wish I did.
But all of my attempts at things like making little fondant gingerbread men end up being a giant Pinterest fail. 😀
These cupcakes are moist.
Yes, I said moist.
I know people hate that word.
I’m sorry.
Sometimes it’s the only way to describe cake or cupcakes in this case.
Yes, these cupcakes have both a glaze and a frosting.
Overkill?
Yes.
But it really does make for a great cupcake.
If you don’t have Mascarpone around you can use cream cheese but it’s not the same.
Also don’t skip the orange glaze as it really does add something to these cupcakes.
*This recipe is part of the Plugra Butter Brigade in which I am being compensated for being apart of.
As always the opinions, bad grammar, and bad puns are all my own.
P.S. It’s a great day to buy my cookbook Holy Sweet!
Want More Gingerbread Recipes?
Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cheeseball
Clementine Upside Down Gingerbread Cake
Gingerbread House Gingerbread Layer Cake
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Glaze and Mascarpone Buttercream
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 8 TBSP unsalted butter (I used Plugra), melted
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- For the Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting:
- 8 oz. Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 4 oz. unsalted butter (I used Plugra)
- 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Milk to thin if needed
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
Combine the melted butter, egg and sugar in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until well combined.
Add the molasses and water and mix.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon together.
Working in batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture. Mix until smooth.
Pour into the cupcake liners ¾ of the way full and back for 20-22 minutes depending on your oven.
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove from pan and place on a wire rack.
For the Glaze:
Whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth.
Set the wire rack over wax paper or place in a baking pan to catch the drips.
Spoon all the icing onto the top of the cupcakes and spread it out, it’s okay that it runs down the sides.
Set aside in a cool place until icing has set about 30 minutes.
While the glaze is setting up make the frosting.
For the Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting:
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and Mascarpone cheese.
With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy.
Beat in the vanilla extract.
Pipe frosting on top of glaze covered cupcakes.
Add gingerbread men if you like.
Rosa says
Cute cupcakes and wonderful flavors!
Cheers,
Rosa
Amanda says
These are adorable, love the gingerbread men! Mascapone Buttercream sounds to die for!!!
Alice says
These look & sound delicious!
Irvin says
What?!? Those look ADORABLE. Also I’m mascarpone buttercream… that sounds awesome.
KB says
Of course Santa will bring you something nice. He’ll bring you a bill for butter, plus an extra vet bill since clearly you enjoy funding their operation so much. 😛 Kidding, I hope you get something awesome!
The mascarpone buttercream sounds incredible. I might have to make these just to try that on them. Not that the cupcakes themselves don’t sound delicious too!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
Bahaha oh Target. I definitely have a hard time leaving that place with only what I cam there for. As for resisting the urge to punch people who are taking up/too slow in the aisles – YES! Except I experience that more often at Walmart. I feel like the second I walk into the store I am already walking through a maze. And the butter? Holy crap I now want to keep track of how much I use. And of peanut butter and cream cheese. I bet it’s insane.
Peabody says
@erin yes I bet your peanut butter usage is out if control
Kelly says
How adorably delicious! I love the addition of the mascarpone frosting — especially now that I’ve convinced my cheese-phobic other half that mascarpone isn’t really cheese 😉
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
How adorable are these?! Those toppers are beyond cute.
EH says
Ha! Went to Target last night for tape to wrap presents with – $86 later I was out the door 🙂
Carolyn says
I’ve seen Plugra butter before but I haven’t tried it yet. Your cupcakes look amazing!
Susan says
They ARE beyond cute! I love the baby gingerbread men on top of them. You’ve certainly been a good, so I hope you get what you want or at least a second cupcake. Also I’m impressed you’ve counted the butter, I don’t want to. All I know is that it’s way more than that!
Cakelaw says
Adorable!
Paula Walsh says
Adorable!! I want to know where I would find those super-cute little gingerbread men 🙂
Peabody says
@Paula- Wilton makes them, I bought mine at Target, but you can find them at Amazon http://amzn.to/1Pp9LUq