Cinnamon Gingerbread Cupcakes

I love Christmas, in June I decided to host a cookie swap for my baking friends to attend and of course the theme was mid-winter Christmas. I decided to make these delicious cinnamon gingerbread cupcakes.

The recipe is adapted from the Hunger Games cupcakes I made a while back, they're spiced cupcakes with cinnamon sugar baked inside and on top, then topped with delicious cinnamon buttercream.

I decorated the cupcakes with fondant snowflakes which were covered in silver glitter, but because the glitter isn't supposed to be consumed I put a white fondant circle behind them (so the glitter didn't get into the icing).


Cinnamon Gingerbread Cupcakes
Makes 14 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
115g Butter, melted
1 C Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 C Natural Yoghurt
3/4 C Milk
1 T Vanilla Extract
1 2/3 C Flour
2 t Ground Ginger
1 1/2 t Ground Cinnamon
1/2 t Ground Cloves
1/2 t Ground Nutmeg
1/2 t Baking Powder
1/4 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt

1/4 C Sugar
1 t Cinnamon

Cinnamon Buttercream:
220g Butter, room temperature
3 C Icing Sugar
1 t Vanilla Essence
2 t Ground Cinnamon
2-3 T Milk

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
• In a large bowl, melt butter in microwave.
• Add the brown sugar and whisk together until combined.
• Add egg, yoghurt, milk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
• Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
• Mix the quarter cup of sugar together with cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
• Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of mixture into cases, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture on top of each cupcake.
• Top each case with more mixture so they are approx. 3/4 full and sprinkle some more cinnamon sugar on top again.
• Bake cupcakes for approx. 15 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Cinnamon Buttercream:

• Beat the butter until light in colour.
• Sift icing sugar into a large bowl then add to butter one cup at a time.
• Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat until combined.
• When icing gets too dry add a tablespoon of milk.
• Continue to mix until you reach the desired taste and consistency you like.
• Beat with the whisk attachment on a medium high setting for two minutes or until icing is light and fluffy.
• Pipe icing onto cupcakes and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction