Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes

What better way to celebrate heading into the festive season than with some classic, and much loved gingerbread cupcakes.

A vegan ginger and chocolate cupcake, with a swirl of dairy-free cream cheese vanilla frosting, topped with a homemade gingerbread man. Look how cute the little gingerbread men toppers are- I can’t!

Gingerbread men feel so festive and Christmassy to me, I just want to dunk one right into a gingerbread latte, topped with dairy-free cream- yum! Saying that, I really need to pop to Costa Coffee and pick up one of the Gingerbread Lattes from their free from menu!!

I made these cupcakes a little different from your usual gingerbread cupcake. I added in some chocolate which takes these cupcakes from a 9, to a 10!!

There is also vanilla beans in the frosting for that extra delicious kick of flavour.

So fun and festive, top them off with some homemade gingerbread men.

Just looking at these adorable and very tasty cupcakes just makes me so excited and ready for Christmas!

Pop on some festive tunes and get your bake on!!

Looking for more gingerbread recipes? Look no further:

–Vegan Pink Gingerbread House Cake

–Vegan Gingerbread Cream Doughnuts

–Vegan Gingerbread Macarons

–Vegan Gingerbread Maple Cake

–Vegan Gingerbread House Cake

–Vegan + No-Bake Gingerbread Truffles

–Vegan Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Preparation: 20 minutes

Baking time: 18-20 minutes

Makes: 9 cupcakes

Level: Medium

____________________________________________________________

Ingredients for the gingerbread cookies

• 75g of dairy-free butter/margarine
• 55g of light brown sugar
• 25g of blackstrap molasses
• 50g of golden syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of allspice
• 200g of plain flour

Ingredients for the royal icing

• 70g of chickpea brine (aquafaba)
• 100g of icing sugar

Ingredients for the cupcakes

• 240g of dairy-free milk
• 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• 210g of self-raising flour
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger
• 40g of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 60g of caster sugar
• 60ml of sunflower oil/coconut oil (melted)

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting

• 100g of dairy-free butter
• 50g of dairy-free cream cheese
• 250g of icing sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod (seeds only)

____________________________________________________________

Method (Gingerbread)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees c fan. Place the butter/margarine, light brown sugar, molasses and golden syrup into a medium-sized saucepan and place onto the hob over medium heat and melt together. Stir to combine.

2. In a separate bowl, add in the bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, allspice and plain flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

3. Pour in the melted mixture and stir to combine.

It will be very sticky so roll it up in some greaseproof paper and pop into the freezer for 35 minutes. This makes it easier for cutting out the shapes and handling the dough.

4. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

5. Roll out the dough in between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper until 1/4 inch thick.

You can roll the dough on a floured work surface, but I find rolling it between greaseproof paper much easier.

6. Using a small gingerbread cookie cutter, cut out the gingerbread men and place onto the lined baking trays. Space them out as the cookies will spread slightly.

7. Place into the middle of the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.

   Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the gingerbread to cool on the baking trays. The gingerbread will be very delicate when first out of the oven but it will harden off at room temperature.

Continue baking the gingerbreads until you have used up all of the dough.

8. Allow the gingerbread to cool before icing.

Method (royal icing)

1. In a medium bowl or stand mixer, add in the chickpea brine and whisk on high until frothy.

This usually takes around 5 minutes.

I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment but you can use a hand mixer.

2. Add in the icing sugar and whisk together until it holds a stiff peak.

If the royal icing is too runny, add in more icing sugar until it resembles toothpaste consistency.

3. Transfer into a piping bag and pipe onto the gingerbread men.

Set the gingerbread aside and allow the royal icing to set.

Method (cupcakes)

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees c and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

2. Sieve the flour, ground ginger, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Mix until fully combined.

3. Pour into the mixing bowl the vanilla extract, oil & dairy-free milk. Mix until fully combined.

4. Fill the cases 3/4 full with the batter.

Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.

5. Pop the cakes into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. 

You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.

6. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool fully before frosting/filling.

Method (Cream cheese frosting)

1. Cream the dairy-free butter and cream cheese in a bowl, on high speed until creamy. I use my stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment. You can use an electric or hand whisk.

2. When creamy & light in colour, add in the icing sugar and vanilla bean seeds. You can use vanilla extract is preferred.

Whizz together until fluffy & fully combined.

Add more dairy-free butter if the buttercream is too thick or more icing sugar if it’s too soft.

3. Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip nozzle.

4. Core the cupcakes using an apple corer or knife and pipe some of the frosting down the center and then pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake.

Repeat for all of the cupcakes.

5. Top with a gingerbread man cookie.

Serve these cupcakes fresh or store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Best eaten within a few days.

Make sure you follow me on my social media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelittleblogofvegan/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleblogofvegan/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/blogofvegan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlogofVegan

 The Little Blog Of Veganⓒ All Rights Reserved. 2020