Ginger Cupcakes

Dark, sticky, and loaded with ginger and cinnamon warmth. These old-fashioned cupcakes get their deep color and bittersweet backbone from molasses, which cooks down with the sugar, shortening, and spices before anything else happens.

That boiling step is what makes these different from a typical cupcake. Heating the molasses, sugar, shortening, and spices together blooms the ginger and cinnamon while melting the shortening into a smooth, glossy base. Let it cool to lukewarm before adding the flour, or you’ll scramble the eggs when they go in.

Sour milk and baking soda work together to give the batter lift and tenderness. No sour milk on hand? Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for five minutes.

Pro Tips

• Use cake flour, not all-purpose. The lower protein content gives these a softer, more tender crumb.
• Fill muffin cups about two-thirds full. These rise nicely and you don’t want overflow.
• Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture in batches. Dumping it all in at once makes for a lumpy, uneven batter.
• These are best the same day but stay moist for two to three days in an airtight container thanks to the molasses.

Variations

• Top with cream cheese frosting for a classic gingerbread-and-cream pairing.
• Add ¼ cup of finely chopped crystallized ginger to the batter for a spicier bite.
• Swap the molasses for dark treacle if you can find it, for an even deeper, more complex sweetness.