A Cocktail & A Cupcake: Gingerbread Martini and Gingerbread Cupcakes

This Gingerbread Martini Recipe and Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe will make all of your holiday celebrations even better! Homemade Gingerbread Syrup and Candied Ginger are the key to making both of these treats festive and delicious.

This is the last adventure for the year for a Cocktail and a Cupcake! Of course, it had to be festive and scream all things holiday so GINGERBREAD it was!

At Thanksgiving, my friends and I tested out a Gingerbread White Russian recipe and while the drink was good (but very sweet), it didn't quite give me the gingerbread satisfaction I was looking for. However, the gingerbread syrup from the recipe was AMAZING and I made a huge batch for coffee, frosting, pancakes, etc. I couldn't give up on my Gingerbread Cocktail quest, so I started experimenting at home. I wanted a boozy, gingerbready concoction and finally landed on the winner!

The cupcakes are also amazing and this recipe is pretty easy to follow. It was originally a bread recipe and can still be used for a loaf. It makes the perfect cupcake because they are dense and you get a spicy bite every now and then with the added candied ginger. I made my own candied ginger, but you can always buy some at the store instead.

Below you will find the Gingerbread Martini Recipe, the Gingerbread Syrup Recipe, the Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe, the Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe and the Candied Ginger and Syrup Recipe. Whew! Yes, it's a lot of gingerbread but hey...it's Christmas!

Gingerbread Martini Ingredients

2 oz. vodka

2 oz. Tuaca

1.5 oz Kalua

1.5 oz gingerbread syrup *see recipe below

2 tablespoons fresh whipped cream

Garnish with candied ginger, crushed gingerbread cookies and fresh nutmeg.

Instructions

1. Prepare glass with crushed gingerbread cookies around the edge using honey or simple syrup to stick it on.

2. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake well.

3. Strain into prepared glass.

4. Add candied ginger garnish and sprinkle with fresh nutmeg.

5. Cheers!

Gingerbread Syrup Ingredients

1 1/3 cup water

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or grated

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Combine water, honey, molasses, ginger and cinnamon in a saucepot on the stove.

2. Bring to boil over high heat stirring constantly.

3. Continue to boil and stir for about 3 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

5. Allow mixture to cool completely and then strain out the solids before transferring to a glass container that seals. The syrup will last for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

Gingerbread Cupcake Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup white granulated sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg, room temperature

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/3 cup candied ginger

Frosting Ingredients

1/2 cup cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

Cupcake Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg into a bowl and set aside. Sifting is important here because3 the ginger, cloves and nutmeg can make the flour clump (see photo).

3. Add the butter to your mixer bowl and mix until creamy and smooth.

4. Add the sugar and continue to mix for 2 more minutes.

5. Add the vanilla and egg and continue mixing.

6. Add the apple sauce and fully combine everything (it gets a little curdled effect here but it's fine...).

7. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix just until combined.

8. Add candied ginger pieces and mix them in by hand.

9. Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Remove and allow to cool while you make the frosting.

Frosting Instructions

11. In a large bowl or mixer, add cream cheese and begin to beat at medium speed. Add vanilla and shortening and continue to beat.

12. Add powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until nice and smooth.

13. Once the cupcakes have cooled, frost, top with more candied ginger if desired and enjoy!

Candied Ginger and Syrup Ingredients

2 cups fresh ginger, cubed or sliced

4 cups water

1 cup sugar

Candied Ginger and Syrup Instructions

1. In a saucepan on the stove over med-high heat, add sugar and water and bring to a boil.

2. Add ginger to the pan and lower heat to simmer, uncovered, for an hour.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

4. Strain solids from liquid (but don't throw away the liquid, it's delicious Ginger Syrup you can use also!!)

5. Place ginger on a cooling rack or wax paper (the cooling rack doesn't accommodate the small pieces very well). Sprinkle generously with sugar and allow to continue to cool. After an hour or two, flip the pieces and sprinkle with more sugar. Allow to cool and set for 2 more hours or more.

6. Once cooled and mostly dry, place pieces in an airtight container with a little more sugar and shake to fully coat pieces.

Store both the candied pieces and syrup in the refrigerator. They should last a few weeks in an airtight container.

Shortcuts and Notes

-Use store-bought candied ginger, whipped cream, frosting, gingerbread syrup. The gingerbread syrup os a game-changer for the drink but if you are in a pinch or not feeling like a Martha, you can get away with it and no one will know!

-The cupcake recipe can be used to make a gingerbread loaf as well, you will just need to cook it longer and increase your oven temp by 25 degrees.

-Orange is another flavor that works really well with ginger. If you don't have candied ginger or don't enjoy a strong ginger flavor, candied orange peel or orange zest would be a great alternative.

-Shortening is completely optional in the frosting. I wanted a little more structure so I added it in, but it's not necessary.