How to bake gingerbread cupcakes

Unlike other spices ginger goes well with savoury and sweet foods as well as in drinks. For this gingerbread cupcakes recipe I will be using ground ginger or powdered ginger as it is sometimes known because it adds a lovely aroma and taste to baked goods. Ground ginger adds a slight hint of heat to the cupcakes which go well with the ginger buttercream icing. To make the gingerbread buttercream icing just add 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder to the buttercream icing.

The black treacle in this gingerbread cupcakes recipe goes really well with the ginger. The two most common forms of treacle are golden syrup, which is much paler in colour and does not have a strong taste like black treacle. This gingerbread cupcake recipe is simple to follow.

If black treacle is difficult to find where you are or you just prefer golden syrup you can substitute the treacle for that but I recommend you try out black treacle.

Ingredients

• 100 grams light/dark muscovado sugar
• 75 grams butter
• 175 grams black treacle
• 150 ml milk
• 1 large egg
• 225 grams self raising flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped (optional)

Method

• Pre heat the oven to 180 Celsius
• Put the sugar, butter and treacle in a pot over medium heat and stir until melted.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk, then the egg and finally the chopped stem ginger (if using)
• Add the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and then pour in the treacle mixture and mix until smooth

Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcakes and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Test with a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean it is ready.

• Leave the gingerbread cupcakes on the tray for about five minutes before transfering them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To decorate make this butter icing and add 1/2 a teaspoon of ground ginger to it.