I found some beautiful candied ginger at my local Asian food market- big, organically shaped slices coated in sugar- and I had to get them. I like to just snack on the stuff, it’s spicy and sweet and it has this nice warmth that lingers long after you’re done snacking. Ginger is also good for digestion and it’s said to help lessen the length of the common cold. It’s just a wonder snack, isn’t it? My husband isn’t too keen on ginger as a snack, but he likes it in things so I made these ginger cupcakes (from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson) topped with cream cheese frosting and sliced candied ginger. It’s definitely a grown-up flavor, although I think kids would enjoy the buttery cupcakes and little pieces of candy floating throughout. Weird kids, mind you, like ones who would rather organize their desk drawers then go outside and play.

For the cupcakes you will need:

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 (use your food processor or a sharp chef’s knife)

1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake pan with 12 liners.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, ginger, baking powder and salt. Stir in chopped ginger. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until well combined using an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making thee additions of flour and two of milk. Beat until smooth. Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly touched with your finger. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on rack completely.

This is the first cupcake recipe I have ever made that made more batter than it said it would. Usually, I have one tiny cake or I’m missing a few. This made mmore than enough, so fill up those cups!

For the frosting you will need:

4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

a pinch of salt

2 & 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

In a bowl, with your electric mixer on medium high speed, beat together cream cheese, butter and salt until creamy. With mixer on low speed, make 1/2 cup additions of sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Increase the speed of your mixer between each addition.

I topped mine with small pieces of candied ginger. Make sure you warn people these aren’t just yellow cupcakes, I didn’t tell Tony what they were and he almost threw up.