Today i decided my kids needed cupcakes. So I decided to make Ginger Cupcakes. These are fast and easy and are not all crumbly when you try to eat them.

I used this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. Recipe is as follows:

Ginger Cupcake Recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners.

1. In a small bowl, mix together flour, ginger, baking powder and salt. Stir in candied ginger.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth.

3. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 23 to 28 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Double this recipe if you like mounds of frosting on your cupcakes.

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups confectioner's (icing) sugar, sifted
1/4 cup finely chopped crystalIized ginger
1 tsp ground ginger
Pinch salt

1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy. With mixer on low speed, beat in confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time so that the sugar doesn't fly allover the place. Increase speed to medium-high, beating until light and fluffy. Add crystallized ginger, ground ginger and salt, beating until well mixed.

2. Spread frosting over cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 8 hours.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

These turned out really well.. although REALLY gingery. My oldest didn't like it and my youngest devoured his cupcake. I would recommend cutting back on the ground ginger in both the cupcake and the frosting if your family is not a HUGE ginger fan.