RECIPE

Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe

Welcome the festive season with a little sugar and spice

01 October, 2025

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Sweet, spicy and topped with creamy Milkybar® white chocolate Buttercream, our gingerbread cupcakes embody the festive spirit – in cupcake form! They’re a celebration of the cosy moments that make the season special, up there with wintry family walks, twinkling Christmas markets and snuggling down to a classic Christmas movie. Whether you’re baking for fun or creating a batch to bring in to work, these gingerbread cupcakes are the perfect way to spread a little sugar, spice and all things nice!

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How to Decorate Your Gingerbread Cupcakes

Decorating is where you get to put your personal stamp on your creations. Keep it simple with a swirl of our creamy Milkybar® Buttercream or go rustic and lay it on with a palette knife. Another fun route is to pipe the icing on little mounds over the top of the cupcake, and don’t forget to experiment with different nozzles for creative looks. For a little extra fun and crunch, top your gingerbread cupcakes with a small amount of crushed ginger cookies or festive gold ball sprinkles.

How to Spice Your Gingerbread Cupcakes

Gingerbread flavours are all about warm spices with big fragrant aromas and flavour notes. Think cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove. We’ve used our own mix, but if you don’t have all the spices on hand, you can use a store-bought ground mixed spice for baking. Another important ingredient in gingerbread is black treacle, so don’t skip this step! It gives you that deep, rich, bittersweet flavour that complements the spices. In the mood for another festive holiday bake? Try our Milkybar® Snowman Cake

Cupcake Baking Tips

Cupcakes are delicate little things, so it’s important not to overmix or overbake them. Overmixing will lead to a tough texture. Overbaking will give you dry cupcakes that you’ll have to chase with a glass of eggnog. Lastly, make sure that your oven temperature is correct. You’ll be amazed how many ovens are inaccurate. A cheap oven thermometer from Tesco is never a wasted investment.

How to Prevent Cupcakes from Sinking

A simple but often overlooked tip for gingerbread cupcakes is filling the cases with the correct amount of mixture. A good rule of thumb is always two-thirds full. This leaves room for the cupcakes to rise and set without sinking or mushrooming over the top.

What is the Secret to Perfect Cupcakes?

A cupcake is only as good as its recipe, so get your recipes from trusted sources. From there it’s all about using good quality ingredients, following the recipe, baking at the right temperature and letting the cupcakes cool before icing. We also recommend baking one tray of cupcakes at a time in the centre of the oven. This gives your batch the most even heat and the greatest chance of an even rise. Not all cupcakes will always come out perfectly, but even a slightly wonky cupcake is still delicious!

Can you Freeze Cupcakes?

Absolutely! Freeze the un-iced cupcakes in an airtight container for up to three months. To defrost, simply leave the container in the fridge overnight and ice the cupcakes the next day. This is a great way for to get ahead of the silly season madness. For another quick and easy recipe that freezes well, try our Christmas Shortbread Snowmen.

Storage and Serving Instructions

Cupcakes are always best when fresh, but kept in an airtight container, they will last up to three days at room temperature. Gingerbread cupcakes are a welcome addition to any event over the festive season. Serve them for tea, brunch, lunch or a Christmas party with your favourite beverage. For a thoughtful homemade gift, pack four cupcakes in a recycled box, wrap it with an orange ribbon, and draw a gingerbread man on it. Your family or friends will love it! For another super simple no-bake gift, try our Milkybar® Christmas Pudding Rice Crispy Cakes.

You will need:

A cupcake baking tray
12 cupcake cases
A piping bag
A small nozzle

For the Cake

100g buttery baking spread, softened
100g soft light brown sugar
60ml black treacle
100ml milk, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove

For the Milkybar® buttercream

100g Milkybar®
100g buttery baking spread
150g icing sugar
1 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

Each cupcake typically contains:

Energy 1343kJ 321kcal 16%
Fat 15.1g 22%
Saturates 5.7g 29%
Sugars 29.1g 32%
Salt 0.46g 8%

of an adult’s Reference Intake (RI)*
Energy per 100g: 1749kJ/418kcal

Recipe

For the Cake

Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line a cupcake baking tray with cupcake cases.
Add the buttery baking spread, sugar and treacle to a saucepan and set it over low heat. Melt until warm and combined. Remove from the heat and let it cool until you can dip a teaspoon in and safely touch it with your finger.
In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and vanilla.
Add around half the flour, along with the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Mix well to combine.
Pour in the cooled sugary mixture, then add in the remaining flour. Whisk until smooth.
Portion the mixture into cupcake cases (fill to two-thirds).
Bake for 16–18 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed or a toothpick comes out clean.
Pop the cupcakes onto a rack to cool completely before piping a small amount of buttercream onto each cupcake. Aim for about 1 tbsp.

For the Milkybar® Buttercream

Chop the Milkybar® and pop it into a microwave-safe bowl. Warm it in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between until it is melted and smooth – don’t forget the oven gloves as the bowl heats up! Once it’s melted, leave it on the counter to cool for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk the buttery baking spread for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Sift in the icing sugar in two additions, whisking well after each to prevent lumps.
Pour in the cooled, melted Milkybar® and the vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and creamy, then add the milk and mix again. If it is still too thick, add one more tablespoon and whisk again.
Transfer to a piping bag and use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. Finish your cupcakes with a pinch of cinnamon on top, if you like.

Top Tips

A great tip for any cupcake recipe is to always use room temperature ingredients. When everything is the same temperature, the ingredients bind together better.