Cinnamon Iced Gingerbread Cupcakes

I know I've been blowing this blog up with posts about food, but hold onto your hats, these cupcakes might blow you away.  Yesterday, one of my friends that also loves to bake cupcakes, sent me a link to an incredibly good gingerbread cake recipe.  It was perfect timing because I was wanting to make something gingerbready for the kids to try since they have had nothing gingerbread flavored yet this Christmas.  I remember as a kid, my mom used to make a box gingerbread mix and serve it to us with whipped cream- throw your box mixes away now, this will knock your socks off.

Cake:
OVEN:  350'
4 oz fresh grated ginger (1 cup)
1 cup light molasses
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup water
2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs

Icing:
6 TBSP butter
6 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3-4 TBSP milk
2-3 cup confectioner's sugar

For the cake, mix together oil, sugar, and molasses (I used the whisk on my kitchenaid).  Boil water and add the baking soda into it, mix, then add to the molasses mixture.  Grate ginger and add it into the molasses mixture.

(I did not have ginger and couldn't get to the store to find some, so I did a bad thing and substituted in ground ginger (1/3 cup).  I read several things online saying they are not comparable, but it was the only thing I could do and I think mine taste great, however, next time I make them, I will be sure to have fresh ginger.)

In separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, continue mixing.  Mix in the 2 eggs.

Pour into prepared cake pans or cupcake tins ( I made one mini loaf, 24 mini cupcakes, and 12 regular sized cupcakes).  The mini cupcakes took about 15 minutes, regular sized about 20, and the mini loaf cake about 25-30 minutes.

For the icing, cream together butter and cream cheese, add in cinnamon and vanilla.  Add in 1 tbsp milk, then 1 cup confectioner's sugar.  Continue alternating sugar and milk additions until frosting is desired consistency.

I cut the mini loaf cake into three layers and iced in the middle.  This is what I think we'll leave out for Santa tonight, so Dave and I can eat it later :)