Stout Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze

Adapted from Crumb: A Baking Book

Baking season is nearly if not already here, and these cupcakes are a great way to start it off. This gingerbread has a nice kick to it, so you may want to scale down the quantity of ginger and other spices if you’re looking for something milder. Alternatively, you could exchange the simple glaze with a richer, sweeter frosting (like cream cheese frosting) to offset some of the spice. But if you’re like me and you don’t love super sweet desserts, you will love these moist, flavorful cupcakes and the simple glaze that adds just a touch of sweetness.

Bake the Cupcakes

• 60g butter (1/4 cup)

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 60g brown sugar (5 tbsp, dark or light is fine)

• 7 tbsp dark beer (stout, porter, brown ale — I used a stout as the name implies)

• 1 egg

• 120g all-purpose flour (scant 1 cup)

• 1 tbsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp allspice

• 1/2 tsp cardamom

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp clove

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease/line a cupcake pan.

2. Combine the butter, molasses, and sugar in a pan over low heat, cooking until the butter is melted.

3. Once the butter has melted, stir the beer into the mixture. Beat in the egg next.

4. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together — flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.

5. Add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients slowly, making sure to stir it well so everything is combined and there are no big clumps. The beer will likely produce bubbles so don’t panic if you see them!

6. Divvy the batter across the cupcake pan and bake for 15 minutes. A toothpick inserted into a cupcake should come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool on a rack after baking.

Make the Glaze

• 20g powdered (confectioners) sugar (a little over 1/8 cup or around 2 3/4 tbsp, it’s easier to start with less and add a little bit more if you don’t have the desired consistency)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp water

1. Mix/whisk the glaze together. You can add a little bit more water or sugar depending on how thick or thin you want the glaze to be.

2. Use a pastry brush or spoon to spread the glaze across the cooled cupcakes. The glaze will soak into warm cupcakes, so it is important to wait for them to cool.

3. Give the glaze 5-10 minutes to set (depending on your patience), and enjoy your delicious cupcakes!

Let me know how your cupcakes were in the comments below!