Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

Cake

Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

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This recipe is sponsored by In The Raw®, and all thoughts and opinions here are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Sugared & Stirred possible!

Sweet and fluffy Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream and Honey In The Raw® drizzle! These flavorful cornbread-turned-cupcakes will be the perfect addition to your next cozy get-together!

Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

I’ve been dreaming about creating these cupcakes for months now. I love cornbread muffins, and I just knew that using cornmeal in my classic cupcake recipe would give me the fluffy, sweet, corn-y cupcakes that I’ve been craving! Add a honey buttercream on top, and these cupcakes are just a dream. Of course I also topped them with a drizzle of Honey In The Raw® for extra oomph (and honey flavor).

Don’t let the cornmeal confuse you, these cupcakes come together like a classic cake batter. You’ll beat together the Sugar In The Raw® and butter – since this is a raw, turbinado sugar, you want to spend some extra time beating these ingredients together. Then you’ll begin adding the dry ingredients and milk, alternating between the two, until you have a smooth cake batter. That batter will resemble a cake batter, not a cornbread batter. Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, you beat together the frosting ingredients. The added honey creates a smooth frosting texture perfect for piping.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • All-purpose flour is the standard baking flour. I like to use an unbleached version, but any all-purpose flour will work in this recipe. If your flour looks clumpy at all, I recommend sifting it.
  • Yellow cornmeal is made from yellow corn, and it’s different than corn flour. Make sure what you buy/use for this recipe is yellow cornmeal. This cornmeal will give the cupcakes that familiar cornbread flavor!
  • Baking powder + baking soda perfectly leaven these cupcakes.
  • Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness.
  • Plant-based butter is used in both the cake batter and frosting. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based butter or regular butter. The important thing is that it’s softened prior to beating. If you plan to use a tub “butter” then you can use it straight from the refrigerator as it’s already soft.
  • Sugar In The Raw® Turbinado Sugar is a heartier sugar with big, golden crystals. Since it’s unbleached, the crystals keep their rich flavor and color of the natural molasses. This sugar can be used 1:1 in baking!
  • Eggs help bind the ingredients and keep these cupcakes fluffy.
  • Vanilla extract adds flavor to both the cupcakes and frosting.
  • Oat milk moistens the batter and thins out the frosting. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based milk or regular cow’s milk.
  • Vegetable shortening acts a thickener in the frosting. It stiffens the buttercream, which can sometimes end up too thin thanks to the plant-based butters. If you’d like, you can replace the shortening with more butter, but you may need less milk in the frosting.
  • Powdered sugar bulks up the frosting – there are no substitutes for powdered sugar.
  • Honey In The Raw® is a delicious, raw, and unfiltered honey used to flavor the buttercream frosting. It’s also drizzled on top of each cupcake as a sweet finish!

More Recipes You Might Like

Sweet Corn Muffins

Cranberry Chai Spice Cupcakes

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes

Mulled Apple Cider Cake with Penuche Frosting

Yield: 12 Regular Cupcakes

Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

Corn Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

Sweet and fluffy cornmeal cupcakes topped with a delicious honey buttercream frosting! These sweet, little cakes are perfect for your next get-together!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 48 minutes

Ingredients

Corn Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cups (163g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (80g) yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 2/3 cup (142g) Sugar In The Raw®
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup oat milk, room temp (or other milk)

Honey Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup (48g) vegetable shortening (or more butter)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Honey In The Raw® (+ more to drizzle)
  • 6 cups (720g) powdered sugar
  • ~3 Tbsp oat milk (or other milk)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your cupcake pan by adding paper liners to the wells.
  2. Bring your eggs and milk to room temperature - place the eggs in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Heat the milk until just slightly warm/room temp.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to evenly combine; set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, add the softened butter and sugar. Beat the ingredients for 1 minute. Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional minute.
  5. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add 1/2 of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat, alternating dry ingredients and milk until you add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth.
  6. Scoop or spoon the batter into the lined cupcake pan, filling 3/4 full - you may have a small bit of batter leftover.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Once the cupcakes are totally cool, you can make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and shortening. Beat in the vanilla extract and honey. Begin beating in the powdered sugar, 1-2 cups at a time. Once you've added all the powered sugar, you can begin adding the oat milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, until your buttercream reaches a thick but spreadable consistency.
  9. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip and frost all of the cupcakes. Just before serving, drizzle each cupcake with extra Honey In The Raw®.
  10. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Butter: feel free to use plant-based butter or regular butter - just make sure your butter is softened. If you plan to use a tub "butter" then you can use it straight from the refrigerator as it's already soft.
  2. Vegetable shortening: this helps stiffen the buttercream, but you can also use butter in its place. You may need to use less milk if you choose to do this.
  3. Milk: I like to bake with oat milk or almond milk, but any kind of milk will work in this recipe. The important thing is to use room temperature milk.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

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Spiced Powdered Donuts

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These cozy and comforting Spiced Powdered Donuts are made with my favorite spiced cake batter. Covered in a spiced powdered sugar, these fluffy, baked donuts are just the dessert you need to brighten your morning!

Spiced Powdered Donuts

I know we’re all chasing after the pumpkin once fall hits, but I promise these Spiced Powdered Donuts bring all of that cozy, fall flavor with zero pumpkin! The base of the donuts is actually my favorite cake batter with a homemade “pumpkin pie” spice mixed in. We’ve got cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice mixed into the batter and the powdered sugar coating. It’s a whole lot of comforting flavor all wrapped up in the fluffiest, most tender baked donuts!

I consider this recipe to be a “small batch” which makes six regular donuts. I find that these donuts are best eaten right after they’ve been coated with the powdered sugar…wait too long and the sugar tends to “melt” into the donuts. So half a dozen seems like the perfect number of donuts to be consumed within a day.

The batter itself comes together just like my favorite cake and cupcake batters. You’ll beat the sugar and egg until fluffy, add a room temperature egg and vanilla extract, and then alternate beating in the dry ingredients and milk (also room temperature) until everything is totally combined and smooth. If you’re not used to making homemade cakes then the process may seem a little finicky or daunting, but I promise that after you do it once, you’ll find it comes easily.

Finally, once the donuts are completely cool (we don’t want the powdered sugar coating to melt!), you can use a fork or spoon to turn them over in a bowl filled with the sugar coating. Get the donuts nice and coated and then they’re all ready to enjoy!

What You’ll Need + Substitutions

All-purpose flour is the base for these donuts. I haven’t tested this recipe with any other flour.

Baking powder & baking soda combine to leaven these donuts to the perfect shape and fluffiness! I tested this recipe with different combinations and found that using both helped get the shape I wanted.

Salt adds depth to flavor and slightly cuts the sweetness of these donuts. 

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, & allspice combine to bring that cozy, fall-inspired spice we all love. These spices are the main star of these donuts, so I don’t recommend skimping. You can, however, use a pumpkin pie spice in place of all of the spices.

Plant-based butter (or regular butter) is used to give these donuts flavor. It’s softened and then beaten with the sugar to help create a light, cakey donut texture. I only recommend using your favorite softened butter – nothing in liquid form.

Brown sugar has molasses mixed in, which adds a lovely flavor to these donuts. You can use a white granulated sugar or coconut sugar in its place, but the leavening agents may not work properly (the donuts may not rise the way we want them to!).

Egg binds the ingredients and also lends to the fluffiness of these donuts. I haven’t tested this recipe with any egg alternatives.

Vanilla extract adds flavor, and I don’t recommend skipping it. A nice flavor addition would be maple extract if you’re looking to add some extra flavor (replace all or 1/2 of the vanilla extract with maple extract).

Plant-based milk (or regular milk) is used to moisten these donuts. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based milk (almond, oat, etc) or cow’s milk. Just make sure you bring the milk to room temperature before adding it to the recipe.

More Donuts Recipes

Chocolate Coffee Donuts

Lemon Cake Donuts

Pumpkin Collagen Donuts

Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts (vegan)

Chocolate Guinness Baked Donuts

Yield: 6 Donuts

Spiced Powdered Donuts

Spiced Powdered Donuts

Fluffy cake donuts filled with cozy, fall spices! These delicious donuts are covered in a spiced powdered sugar for extra sweetness!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Donuts

  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (114g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 cup (57g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1/3 cup (80g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (110g) oat milk, room temperature (or other milk)

Sugar Coating

  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 6-well donut pan with non-stick spray. Bring your egg and milk to room temperature - place the whole egg in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes + heat up the milk.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.
  3. In a medium or large bowl, beat together the softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until all is totally combined.
  4. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and beat. Add 1/2 of the milk and beat. Repeat until, finally, you beat in the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
  5. Pipe or spoon the batter into the greased muffin wells, filling to the top. I like to add a gallon ziploc bag to a tall glass, scrape the batter into the bag, snip a hole in the corner of the bag, and pipe the batter into the pan.
  6. Gently wiggle the pan to settle the batter. Bake donuts at 350°F for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with a few crumbs.
  7. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. I like to wave the upside down pan firmly in the air until all the donuts fall out. Allow the donuts to cool completely.
  8. In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar and spices and whisk together until well mixed. Take each cooled donut and flip it around in the sugar until well coated. Enjoy immediately.
  9. Store any leftover donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator - the powdered sugar may "melt" and become absorbed by the donuts.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

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Halloween Funfetti Cake with Black Cocoa Frosting

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My favorite sprinkle-filled cake all dressed up in a decadent black cocoa frosting! This festive Halloween Funfetti Cake cake is perfect for the spooky season!

Halloween Funfetti Cake

It’s officially October and I could not resist creating a cake with black frosting and loads of sprinkles! Halloween seems to bring out the kid in many of us, and this cake does exactly that. It’s loaded with festive sprinkles inside and out and topped with a dark chocolate frosting. And let me tell ya, investing in a $15 bag of black cocoa is worth it. It creates the most beautiful, natural black color in this frosting, and you’ll be able to use it all season long 😉

Here’s What You’ll Need For This Cake

All-purpose flour
Baking soda + baking powder
Salt
Butter (I use plant-based)
Cane sugar
Eggs
Vanilla + almond extracts
Milk (I use oat milk)
Black & orange jimmies sprinkles
Vegetable shortening
Natural cocoa powder
Black cocoa powder
Powdered sugar
More Halloween sprinkles

Let’s Talk Black Frosting

For a Halloween-themed cake, black frosting just makes sense. To avoid using black food coloring (and charcoal powder) I gave this cake a decadent, dark chocolate frosting made with black cocoa powder. Yes, the black cocoa powder is all you need to get that beautiful black frosting! This is the exact cocoa I used for this cake. Since black cocoa has a more bitter flavor than traditional cocoa powder, you will also use natural (regular) cocoa powder in this recipe for maximum chocolate flavor. The powdered sugar will balance out the cocoa to create a delicious and unique chocolate frosting.

It’s important to note that when you first make the frosting it will be a dark gray color. But as the frosting sits, the color darkens. By the time I finished assembling and frosting my cake, the frosting was black, and that’s what you see pictured in these photos. The black cocoa powder is like magic!

Halloween Cookie Recipes

Halloween Charcoal Sprinkle Cookies

Triple Chocolate Inside Out Cookies

Peanut Butter Monster Cookies

Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: Serves 8-10

Halloween Funfetti Cake

Halloween Funfetti Cake

A fluffy, moist funfetti sprinkle cake all dressed up for Halloween! With a black cocoa frosting, this grownup version of a childhood favorite will delight both kids and adults.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

Funfetti Cake

  • 2 2/3 cups (347g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (170g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1 cup (240g) unrefined cane sugar (or 200g/1 cup regular white granulated sugar)
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk, room temp (or regular milk)
  • ~1/2 cup (85g) halloween jimmies sprinkles

Black Cocoa Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups (339g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1/2 cup (96g) vegetable shortening (or more butter)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (80g) natural cocoa powder
  • 1 cup (112g) black cocoa powder
  • 5 cups (600g) powdered sugar
  • ~3-4 Tbsp plant-based milk (or regular milk)

Instructions

Make the Cake

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare three 6" cake pans by spraying them with non-stick spray and then placing parchment paper circles in the bottoms.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine and set aside.
  4. Prepare the cup of milk and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the extracts.
  5. Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Beat in 1/2 of the milk. Repeat until, finally, you beat in the final 1/3 of dry ingredients. Beat until batter is smooth and well combined.
  6. Stir in the sprinkles. Scoop or pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, evenly distributing the batter amongst the three pans (it's best to use a kitchen scale to weigh the batter). Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into a cake comes out clean).
  7. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

  1. Once the cake layers are totally cool to the touch, you can make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, and extract.
  2. Sift in the cocoa powders and beat. Sift in the powdered sugar and gently beat until mostly combined (it will look dry). Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time, beating each time, until your frosting reaches a thick but spreadable consistency. If it becomes too thin, add more sugar. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk. The frosting will continue to darken in color as it sits, going from dark gray to black.

Assemble the Cake

  1. If desired, trim the tops of the cake layers with a large knife (I did this). Then begin assembling the cake by stacking the layers, adding an even amount of frosting between the layers. I like to invert the top layer of cake for a flat, smooth top.
  2. Frost the outside of your cake as desired. I started with a light crumb coat and then smoothed extra frosting around the cake and then on top.
  3. Decorate your cake however you like! I added frosting stars around the top edge of my cake and extra Halloween sprinkles at the base and around the stars.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this Halloween Cake?!

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Funfetti Cupcakes

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Fluffy and flavorful Funfetti Cupcakes made with classic vanilla buttercream. These easy homemade cupcakes will delight any sprinkle lover! The over-the-top sweetness and traditional vanilla taste is exactly what you want in a confetti cupcake.

Funfetti Cupcakes

I can’t write a blog post about Funfetti Cupcakes without nodding to the OG sprinkle cupcake: Pillsbury boxed cake! When I was a teenager, I lived for those frosted-with-a-butter-knife, sprinkle-filled cupcakes. Spare me your 9″ cake pan and give me cupcakes – the best way to enjoy a sprinkle-loaded cake! Let’s get one thing straight: I have zero qualms about boxed cake mix. It’s convenient, reliable, and, honestly, delicious. BUT if you’re looking for a simple, homemade cupcake with the classic funfetti taste (and a much shorter ingredients list) then I have the cupcakes for you!

My Funfetti Cupcakes are made with my favorite vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream. Add your favorite rainbow jimmies sprinkles to the batter and you will have perfect confetti cupcakes! For extra flavor, you’ll add a bit of almond extract to the cake batter. Not a fan of almond extract? Don’t worry, it’s not strong, and you won’t actually taste it. It melds with the vanilla extract to create a classic funfetti flavor. I’ve created this recipe to be baked as either mini or regular cupcakes – both are delicious! You’ll find the baking instructions for both below 🙂

Ingredients to Make Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes + Substitutions

  • All-purpose flour is my go-to baking flour. I usually use an unbleached variety. If you want to makes these “better” you can technically sub up to 1/2 of the flour for something more nutrient-dense (like a white whole wheat flour).
  • Plant-based butter is used in both the cake and frosting. I like using “butter” in this cake batter because of the flavor it adds. You can certainly use regular butter in both the cake and frosting if you aren’t dairy-free.
  • Unrefined Sugar is my go-to sugar at our house. Regular white granulated sugar will also work (note the gram measurement in the ingredients list).
  • Eggs bind the ingredients and help create that fluffy cake texture. I don’t recommend any substitutes (unless you have a tried a true that has worked in cakes before!).
  • Vanilla extract + almond extract combine to create a delicious and classic funfetti cake flavor. I recommend using both. But if you don’t have almond extract on hand, you can use more vanilla extract its place.
  • Oat milk is used in both the cake and frosting. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based milk or cow’s milk.
  • Rainbow jimmies are necessary to create those little bursts of color we all love! You can choose whatever colors you’d like, but make sure the sprinkles are the “long” ones.
  • Vegetable shortening is used along with the plant-based butter in the frosting. I like using shortening to stiffen the frosting, but it’s totally optional. You can use more butter in its place – you may need less liquid for the frosting if you choose to do this.
  • Powdered sugar is necessary for the frosting, and no substitutes will work to create that classic American buttercream.

More Cupcake Recipes

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes

Mini Banana Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

Yield: 42 Mini Cupcakes or 14 Regular Cupcakes

Funfetti Cupcakes

Funfetti Cupcakes

Fluffy and flavorful Funfetti Cupcakes made with classic vanilla buttercream. These easy homemade cupcakes will delight any sprinkle lover!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 3/4 cup (228g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (112g) plant-based butter, softened (see Note 1)
  • 2/3 cup (159g) unrefined sugar (or 134g granulated sugar)
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup (240g) oat milk (or milk of choice)
  • 1/3 cup (~66g) rainbow jimmies sprinkles

Frosting

  • 3/4 cup (168g) plant-based butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (96g) vegetable shortening (see Note 2)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 6 cups (720g) powdered sugar
  • 3-5 Tbsp oat milk or water

Instructions

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your cupcake pan (mini or regular) with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. Prepare the cup of milk and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the extracts.
  4. Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Beat in 1/2 of the milk. Repeat until, finally, you beat in the final 1/3 of dry ingredients. Beat until batter is smooth and well combined.
  5. Stir in the sprinkles. Scoop batter into the cupcakes liners, filling 3/4 full. Bake mini cupcakes at 350°F for 10-12 minutes; bake regular cupcakes at 350°F for 14-16 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcakes comes out clean).
  6. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Once the cupcakes are totally cool to the touch, you can make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, and extracts. Add the powdered sugar and gently beat until mostly combined - it will look dry.
  8. Add the milk or water 1 Tbsp at a time, beating each time, until your frosting reaches a thick but spreadable consistency. If it becomes too thin, add more sugar. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk/water.
  9. Assemble the cake, adding an equal amount of frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip (I used a Wilton 1M). Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes and immediately top each cupcake with sprinkles - add the sprinkles as you go so they will stick to the freshly piped frosting.
  10. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Stick butter (regular or plant-based) needs to soften at room temperature prior to beating. Tub "butter" can be used straight from the fridge as it's already soft enough.
  2. Shortening can be replaced with an equal amount of butter or plant-based butter. The frosting will need less liquid if you choose to forgo the shortening.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes

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Bright and summery Lemon Ginger Cupcakes flavored with lots of fresh lemon and fresh ginger! With a light ginger flavor and tons of sweetness, these simple lemon cupcakes are easy to love! And easy to bake, too!

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes

The sunny spring here has me craving LEMON, and these Lemon Ginger Cupcakes have been baked no less than three times in the last month at my house! The lightly flavored cake is perfectly…well, cakey. Its fluffy, moist, and holds together so well (not crumby)! I truly love this cake recipe, and the lemon ginger is just delightful. I used fresh lemon (zest in the cupcakes; juice in the frosting), lemon extract, fresh ginger, and ground ginger. There are lots of ways to get the flavors into these bakes, but I found these to be my favorite in terms of flavor and cake texture!

What You’ll Need

  • All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the cupcakes. I haven’t tried this recipe with any other flours.
  • Ground ginger + fresh ginger give these cupcakes a noticeable ginger flavor. You’ll need a roughly 3 inch piece of fresh ginger that you’ll peel and finely grate for the cake. Plus, ground ginger is added to both the cake and frosting!
  • Leavening agents help these cupcakes rise. I like to use a mix of baking powder and baking soda. These two are not interchangeable. 
  • Salt enhances flavor.
  • Plant-based butter is used in both the cake and frosting. It brings moisture and flavor to the cake and helps make up the buttercream frosting. You can use regular butter in its place if you’re not dairy-free.
  • Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the cupcakes. I like to use an unrefined cane sugar, but you can use a white or raw cane sugar as well. I don’t recommend coconut sugar for these cupcakes as it will turn the cupcakes brown.
  • Eggs bind the batter together and help create fluffy, leavened cupcakes. I haven’t tried any egg replacements for this recipe
  • Lemon extract and vanilla extract both add flavor. Feel free to swap one for the other!
  • Lemon zest and lemon juice are added to bring even more lemon flavor to these cupcakes. You’ll need 2 large lemons (or 3-4 small) to zest and juice for all that good lemon flavor.
  • Plant-based milk is added to the cupcake batter to help with moisture and cake texture. I use an unsweetened almond milk for this recipe, but you can use whichever milk you like best (including cow’s if you’re not DF).
  • Powdered sugar makes up the bulk of the frosting, and there are no replacements.

More Lemon Recipes:

Lemon Cake Donuts with Lemon Icing

Soft Iced Lemon Cookies

Yield: 24 Mini Cupcakes or 12 Regular Cupcakes

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes

Soft and summery Lemon Ginger Cupcakes flavored with lots of fresh lemon and fresh ginger! With a light ginger flavor and tons of sweetness, these lemon cupcakes are easy to love!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter (or regular butter), softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
  • 1-2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (about 3" of ginger root)
  • 1 cup plant-based milk

Frosting

  • 3/4 cup plant-based butter, softened
  • 1 tsp ground ginger (add more to taste)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5-6 cups powdered sugar
  • 4-5 Tbsp lemon juice (from the 2 lemons used to zest)

Instructions

Bake the Cupcakes

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 24-count mini cupcake pan (or 12-count regular cupcake pan - see Note 1) with paper liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and lemon extract. And then the lemon zest and freshly grated ginger.
  4. Next beat ~1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add half of the milk and beat. Repeat once more and then, finally, beat in the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
  5. Fill the lined cupcake wells a little more than 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes for mini cupcakes or 15-20 minutes for regular cupcakes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into a cupcake; when it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
  6. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Frost the Cupcakes

  1. Once your cupcakes are totally cool, you'll make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and vanilla extract. Add 3 cups of the powdered sugar and beat. Add another 2-3 cups of sugar + 2 Tbsp of lemon juice. Begin beating and add more lemon juice and powdered sugar as you need. You want the consistency to be thick and stable enough to hold shape yet spreadable and smooth.
  2. Add the frosting to a piping bag, or gallon ziploc bag, fitted with your favorite frosting tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip). Frost each cupcake and immediately top with lemon zest or sprinkles.
  3. Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

  1. You can make either mini cupcakes or regular cupcakes with this recipe. It makes 24 mini cupcakes or 12 regular cupcakes. The bake time will increase for regular cupcakes to between 15 and 20 minutes.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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