A high altitude recipe for the coziest brown sugar spice cupcakes, flavored with warm fall spices and a subtle hint of molasses. Sweet cinnamon sugar and spicy crystallized ginger is the perfect touch sprinkled on top of the buttercream, and star anise makes a pretty decoration for the holidays.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for spiced maple cupcakes, one layer coffee and walnut cake, and spiced pear crumble muffins.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cozy and Comforting. My favorite blend of spices in the fall is cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and they add so much coziness and warmth to baked goods.
Sweet and Spicy. I really love the spicy crystallized ginger sprinkled on top these spice cupcakes, which balances the sweetness of the buttercream.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet, so mountain bakers can bake with confidence that they’ll get delicious and beautiful results.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- Unsalted Butter. Adds moisture and richness. And for a rich, nutty flavor, I start by browning the butter first.
- Eggs. Gives the cupcakes structure.
- Milk. Whole milk adds moisture and fat, and keeps the cupcakes tender and soft.
- Sugar. A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
- Molasses. Deepens the flavor of the brown sugar and enhances the spices.
- Flour. All-purpose flour adds structure and strength.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent, to make the cupcakes rise as they bake.
- Spices. Vanilla extract adds flavor, and salt balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the maple. A blend of cozy spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg adds warmth.
Buttercream
- Unsalted Butter. If you use salted butter, just omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla Extract + Molasses. Flavor.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
- Meringue Powder. Adds stability and improves the texture.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Ground Ginger. Adds more heat and spice to balance the sweetness of the buttercream.
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown solids form at the bottom of the pan, which should take about 5 minutes. You’ll know the butter is just about ready when a layer of foam forms on top of the butter and it stops hissing and splattering.Remove the pan from the heat, use a spatula to scrape the butter and all the browned bits into a bowl, and let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the brown butter, eggs, milk, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices, then whisk until everything is well distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk just until smooth and combined.
- Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 – 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center oven rack for about 18-20 minutes, until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, molasses and vanilla extract for 1 minute until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and ground ginger. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls to the butter, mixing just until combined. Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to “stir” and mix for 1 more minute.
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, fill with the buttercream, and pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle the cupcakes with crystallized ginger and cinnamon sugar. If you like, decorate your spice cupcakes with star anise for a festive finish.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of molasses should I use?
Use old-fashioned molasses, not blackstrap.
Is candied ginger the same thing as crystallized ginger?
Yes, candied ginger and crystallized ginger are both made of chewy pieces of ginger that’s been cooked in simple syrup and coated in granulated sugar.
How should I store the cupcakes?
Store leftover spice cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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High Altitude Brown Sugar Spice Cupcakes
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Standard-Sized Muffin Pan
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp old fashioned molasses
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
Buttercream
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp old fashioned molasses
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp meringue powder (optional)
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 tbsp cinnamon sugar
- star anise, for decorating
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown solids form at the bottom of the pan, which should take about 5 minutes. You'll know the butter is just about ready when a layer of foam forms on top of the butter and it stops hissing and splattering.Remove the pan from the heat, use a spatula to scrape the butter and all the browned bits into a bowl, and let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the brown butter, eggs, milk, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices, then whisk until everything is well distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk just until smooth and combined.
- Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 – 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center oven rack for about 18-20 minutes, until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, molasses and vanilla extract for 1 minute until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and ground ginger. With the mixer running on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls to the butter, mixing just until combined. Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 1 more minute.
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, fill with the buttercream, and pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle the cupcakes with crystallized ginger and cinnamon sugar. If you like, decorate the cupcakes with star anise.
These cupcakes are outstanding! Light, moist, and flavorful! 10/10 I very much recommend! 💗
Can this be made in a Bundt pan, and if so, any ideas on bake time/temp? These sound super good, but I want to make a cake rather than cupcakes.
Amy, I’d suggest checking out one of my spice cake recipes instead, which are layer cakes, but would likely work in a bundt pan, too.
I usually bake bundt cakes between 325-350, and they often take at least 40-45 minutes.
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/high-altitude-white-chocolate-maple-spice-cake/
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/chai-tea-spice-cake-honey-biscoff-buttercream/
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/brown-sugar-spice-cake-cream-cheese-buttercream/
I just finished frosting and eating these, and wow! The cake is soft, flavorful and tender while still having enough structure to stay in one piece when you remove the paper liner. And the frosting is delicious! Incredibly light and fluffy, and less sweet than the average American buttercream. I ate a generously frosted cupcake and I don’t feel sick like I would with most frostings. The molasses adds a unique flavor that tastes great with the cake. A+, will bake again!
I’m so glad you loved them!