Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 9 standard cupcakes or 36 mini cupcakes

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) room temperature unsalted butter

½ cup molasses

½ cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350° F; Line pans with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, molasses, and sugar until light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix; add one-half of the buttermilk, and continue alternating dry with wet, finishing with dry.

Spoon or pipe the batter into prepared cake pans and place in the oven. Bake until the cakes spring back when touched, 20 to 25 minutes for large cupcakes or about 8-12 minutes for minis.

Cream Cheese Icing:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add in the sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Top each cake with a dollop of icing and serve.