Six Month-iversary!

June 9 was the date of my first blog post. Omg, has it really been 6+ months?

In this amount of time I've:

• had 54 posts
• eaten at 24 cupcake bakeries (3 of which were Sprinkles)
• lived in two cities (Chicago + Houston)
• baked only 3 different cupcakes (2 of which were kind of disasters) 
• had 8, but now that I just looked, 7 total subscribers via Google Reader (Yikes, to lose a reader...so sad to see you go!)

What I hope to see in the next six months and beyond:

• fewer typos/bad grammar/bad English (aka need to get my proofreader back: Twin Sista)
• get a fancy schmancy camera and learn how to take fancy schmancy pics
• get 8 maybe 9 subscribers on Google Reader? haha (not that it really matters. Thanks to those of you who enjoy this silly blog).

In celebration of this milestone, I thought I owed it to myself to bake a good cupcake to share with Twin Sista and her guests at her dinner partay tonight. The Eggnog Cupcakes from last night were still GUMMY and GOOPEY this morning. Note to self: don't bake anymore cupcakes from Baking Bites. (Sorry Baking Bites Lady. Two of the two cupcakes I've made were not so good). 


I told myself this morning to get off my lazy bum and drive over to Kroger to find some molasses and other goodies to bake the bestest Gingerbread Cupcakes, ever. Well, I was hoping for the bestest since Twin Sista found a recipe from Georgetown Cupcake, one of my favorite cupcake bakeries I visited this year. 

hey, i'm gingerbread too!

Well, I think I did it! Phew...I was beginning to doubt cupcakes since I've had three gummy ones in the past three weeks. These Gingerbread Cupcakes are moist (in the good way) and spicy! You can really taste the darkness and bitterness of the molasses. I'm thinking that this is an Adult Cupcake since it's not very sweet, spice-filled and dark. 


To complement the cake: a cream cheese frosting. I decided not to use the cinnamon cream cheese frosting that the recipe originally called for but made my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. You can't go wrong with that recipe. 

Gingerbread Cupcakes adapted from Katherine & Sophie Kallinis of Georgetown Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbs ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
10 tbs unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/4 cups molasses
1 cup hot water


6 tbs unsalted butter at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2+ cups confectioners' sugar
2-4 tbs milk


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners and spray with nonstick spray. 
Sift together the dry ingredients, except for the brown sugar and set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar (can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly after each addition. Add the molasses, mixing until well incorporated.
Add one third of the dry ingredients and one third of the water and mix thoroughly. Repeat. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the last third of the dry ingredients and one third of the water and mix thoroughly. 
Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan using an ice cream scooper. 
Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. 
For the Frosting: Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until light and fluffy. Frost cupcakes when completely cooled.
Makes 24 cupcakes.