Anna Louise Ginger cupcakes are the cupcake I make in autumn and winter when I want something with warmth and character rather than simply sweetness. Ground ginger in the sponge gives a background warmth.
Stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped and folded through the batter, gives vivid, slightly sticky pockets of intense ginger flavour. A drizzle of the stem ginger syrup over the warm cupcakes gives a slightly sticky, deeply fragrant top.
The honey cream cheese frosting is the thing that elevates these from very good to genuinely outstanding. The combination of honey’s floral sweetness and cream cheese’s slight tang against the warmly spiced ginger sponge is a flavour combination that makes people stop and ask what they are eating.
I make these for anyone who says they do not usually like cupcakes. They always change their mind.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Ginger Cupcakes
For the Ginger Cupcakes (Makes 12)
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g soft light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 175g self-raising flour, sifted
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 2 tbsp stem ginger syrup — from the jar of stem ginger
- 3 balls stem ginger in syrup, very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp whole milk
For the Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200g full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 75g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g icing sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp good quality runny honey — plus extra for drizzling
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To Decorate
- A drizzle of stem ginger syrup over each frosted cupcake
- 12 small pieces of stem ginger — one per cupcake
- A dusting of ground ginger
How to Make Mary Berry Ginger Cupcakes
Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Line a 12-hole deep muffin tin with paper cupcake cases.
Step 2 — Make the Ginger Cupcake Batter
Beat the softened butter and soft light brown sugar together for three to four minutes until pale and fluffy. The brown sugar gives a slightly darker, slightly more complex batter than white — which suits the ginger beautifully.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the black treacle and stem ginger syrup and beat until combined — the batter will darken significantly from the treacle.
Sift the flour, ground ginger, mixed spice, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder into the bowl. Add the finely chopped stem ginger and milk. Fold gently until just combined.
Step 3 — Fill and Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the twelve cupcake cases — two-thirds full. I always use an ice cream scoop for consistent portions.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until risen, set, and a skewer comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are still warm in the tin — immediately out of the oven — brush or drizzle a little stem ginger syrup over each one. The warm sponge absorbs the syrup, giving a slightly sticky, intensely fragrant top.
Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely — at least 45 minutes — before frosting.
Step 4 — Make the Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and softened butter together until completely smooth. Add the sifted icing sugar in two batches, beating well after each. Add the honey, ground ginger, and vanilla extract. Beat for one to two minutes until smooth and well combined. Do not overbeat.
Taste — the frosting should be clearly, pleasantly of honey, with a background warmth from the ginger.
Step 5 — Frost and Decorate
Spoon or pipe the honey cream cheese frosting onto each completely cooled cupcake. I use a palette knife for a slightly rustic, slightly swooped finish that suits the warmly spiced character of these cupcakes better than a precisely piped rosette.
Drizzle a little stem ginger syrup over the frosting on each cupcake. Place a small piece of stem ginger in the centre. Dust very lightly with a pinch of ground ginger.
My Top Tips For Perfect Ginger Cupcakes
Brush the cupcakes with stem ginger syrup while they are still warm. This is the detail that makes ginger cupcakes genuinely exceptional rather than simply pleasant. The warm sponge absorbs the intensely flavoured, slightly spicy syrup and gives a stickiness and depth of ginger flavour throughout the top of each cupcake that cannot be achieved any other way.
Use both ground ginger and stem ginger. Ground ginger gives a warm background spice throughout the sponge. Stem ginger gives vivid, intense pockets of fresh ginger character. Together they give a sponge that is complex and genuinely, memorably gingery rather than simply spiced.
Black treacle gives the sponge its character. The treacle gives a slight bitterness and darkness — reminiscent of gingerbread — that makes these cupcakes specifically ginger cupcakes rather than generic spiced ones. Two tablespoons is the right amount — enough to flavour without dominating.
Brown sugar suits ginger better than white. The molasses note in soft light brown sugar complements the ground ginger and treacle character of the sponge perfectly. White sugar gives a lighter, less specifically ginger result.
Do not overbeat the honey cream cheese frosting. I say this in every cream cheese frosting recipe because it is consistently the instruction that people overlook. Beat until just smooth — two minutes after the icing sugar is in and stop.
Serving Suggestions
At a autumn or winter bake sale — ginger is specifically seasonal and these stand out on any table. As individual treats at a Christmas gathering. At a coffee morning — ginger and coffee is one of those combinations that works with absolute reliability.
How to Store Ginger Cupcakes
At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The ginger flavour deepens slightly over the first two days.
In the freezer: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Apply the honey cream cheese frosting fresh after defrosting.
Mary Berry Ginger Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases.
- Beat butter and brown sugar 3–4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add treacle and stem ginger syrup — beat until combined. Sift in flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder. Add stem ginger and milk — fold gently until just combined.
- Divide between cases — two-thirds full. Bake 18–20 minutes until risen and skewer comes out clean.
- Immediately brush or drizzle stem ginger syrup over each warm cupcake — the sponge absorbs it while warm. Cool in tin 5 minutes — transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add icing sugar in 2 batches. Add honey, ginger, and vanilla — beat 1–2 minutes. Do not overbeat.
- Frost each cooled cupcake with a swooped palette knife finish. Drizzle extra stem ginger syrup. Place a piece of stem ginger in the centre. Dust lightly with ground ginger.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these without black treacle?
Replace with an equal quantity of golden syrup or dark molasses. Black treacle gives the most specific, most complex character. Golden syrup gives a milder, sweeter result. Both work.
Can I add crystallised ginger to the batter as well as stem ginger?
Yes — 50g of finely chopped crystallised ginger gives an additional texture and a slightly more assertive ginger bite alongside the stem ginger.
Can I use a vanilla buttercream instead of honey cream cheese frosting?
Yes — vanilla buttercream is a more familiar choice. But the honey cream cheese frosting is what makes these cupcakes genuinely distinctive and I would encourage trying it at least once before defaulting to a standard buttercream.
Why are my ginger cupcakes slightly dense?
The batter was overmixed, or too much treacle was added. Fold the dry ingredients in gently until just combined and measure the treacle carefully.
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