Christmas Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These Christmas cupcakes are soft, warmly spiced, and filled with orange zest, honey, and crunchy walnuts. A creamy cream cheese frosting on top makes them feel festive without being too heavy or overly sweet.
Ingredients
For the Christmas Cupcakes
- 4½ Tbsp unsalted butter, softened 64 g
- ½ Zest of orange
- ½ light brown sugar 91 g
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 16 g
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ Tbsp honey
- ¼ cup milk 64 g
- Ground ginger, to taste
- Ground cinnamon, to taste
- Ground cloves, to taste
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 112 g
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped 53 g
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup +1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened 133 g
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened 112g
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar 80 g
- 1 tsp heavy cream 15 ml
Instructions
How to Make Christmas Cupcakes
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a cupcake pan with 8 paper liners. Chop the walnuts and zest the orange before starting.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: Beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and orange zest until creamy and well combined.
- Add the Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, vegetable oil, vanilla, and honey until smooth.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Finish the Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix only until everything comes together.
- Add the Walnuts: Gently fold the chopped walnuts into the batter with a spatula.
- Fill the Pan: Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake: Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes, or until the cupcakes are risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding the frosting.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the Butter: Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the Cream Cheese: Mix in the cream cheese until fully incorporated.
- Add the Sugar: Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.
- Adjust the Texture: Add the heavy cream and continue mixing until the frosting is soft and easy to pipe.
- Decorate: Pipe the frosting over the completely cooled cupcakes and finish with festive decorations if you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 268mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 806IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 1mg
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