These Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes bring together two cold-weather favorites: warm gingerbread spice and a shot of coffee. With a moist, molasses-rich crumb and tangy cream cheese frosting, they’re like your favorite holiday drink — but better, because you can eat it.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

These cupcakes are soft, spicy, and deeply flavorful, with a light coffee kick that makes them feel grown-up. They’re perfect for fall and winter gatherings, easy to bake, and topped with a lemony cream cheese frosting that cuts through the richness beautifully. Whether you’re baking for a holiday party or just want a cozy weekend treat, these cupcakes deliver.

Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes

Gingerbread has a long history as a cold-weather favorite — warm spices, dark molasses, and a comforting depth that just feels right when the leaves fall. But here, we’re giving it a modern twist: pairing that bold flavor with the subtle bitterness of coffee, like your favorite gingerbread latte from the café.

The result is a cupcake that feels familiar but fresh. It’s not cloying or overly sweet — the spices are front and center, balanced by the bitterness of coffee and the tang of cream cheese frosting. The cake itself is moist and tender, thanks to molasses, brown sugar, and a touch of sour cream–style richness from the egg yolks.

You don’t need any complicated tools to make these. A hand mixer or stand mixer makes things easier, but it’s all achievable with bowls, a whisk, and a spatula. The batter comes together quickly, bakes evenly, and cools in time to frost for your next gathering.

The frosting is simple but punchy. Classic cream cheese gets lightened with lemon juice and zest — a bright counterpoint to the dark spice of the cake. It’s a must — don’t skip it.

A few ingredient notes:

• Fresh ginger gives the spice blend a sharp, fresh hit that ground ginger alone can’t.

• Molasses provides richness and moisture. Use unsulphured, not blackstrap (too bitter).

• Hot coffee enhances both the gingerbread and chocolate-like depth of the spices.

• Brown sugar deepens the flavor — don’t substitute with white sugar.

Frosting-wise, you want very soft cream cheese and butter. If they’re too cold, you’ll get lumps. Beat it long enough to whip some air in and make it fluffy — this isn’t a dense frosting.

This recipe makes 12 rich cupcakes that smell like fall, taste like a cozy latte, and are impressive without being fussy. They’re great for gifting, potlucks, or a personal treat after a long day.

Serve them with coffee or hot cider. Or enjoy one cold straight from the fridge — they stay moist for days.

Servings & Time

• Servings: 12 cupcakes

• Prep Time: 20 minutes

• Bake Time: 16 minutes

• Total Time: 36 minutes

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 2 ½ tsp ground ginger

• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted

• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

• ½ cup hot coffee

• ½ cup unsulphured molasses

• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

• 1 large egg + 2 egg yolks, room temperature

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, very soft

• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, very soft

• 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar (more if needed)

• ¼ tsp salt

• 3 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine melted butter, grated fresh ginger, and hot coffee on low speed.

4. Add molasses and brown sugar; beat until smooth.

5. Beat in the egg and yolks, mixing for 30 seconds.

6. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.

7. Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.

8. Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting:

1. In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy (about 4 minutes).

2. On low speed, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat in salt, lemon juice, and zest.

3. Once combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. Adjust consistency if needed: more sugar to thicken, more lemon juice to thin.

5. Pipe or spread onto completely cooled cupcakes.

Tips

Substitutions & Variations

• No fresh ginger? Use 1 tsp extra ground ginger.

• No coffee? Hot water or black tea can sub in a pinch, but coffee brings out flavor depth.

• Want stronger coffee flavor? Add 1 tsp espresso powder to the dry ingredients.

Make-Ahead & Storage

• Cupcakes can be baked 1–2 days in advance and stored (unfrosted) in an airtight container.

• Frosted cupcakes last up to 4 days in the fridge.

• The frosting can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for 3 days — just rewhip before using.

Pro Baking Tips

• Don’t overmix the batter — it should be just combined for a tender crumb.

• Use an oven thermometer. Molasses-heavy batters can brown too quickly if heat is off.

• Room temp eggs and ingredients help everything blend smoothly.