Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 6 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 4 g ground ginger
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground mixed spice
- 2 g salt
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 120 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 150 g mixed dried fruit
- 40 g crystallized stem ginger, finely chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g cream cheese, full-fat, straight from the fridge
- 100 g unsalted butter, room temperature, softened
- 150 g icing sugar, sifted
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 398 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 53 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 27 g
- Sodium
- 275 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 86 mg
- Potassium
- 207 mg
- Calcium
- 209 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 246 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 192 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 70 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 10 mcg
- Water
- 21 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground mixed spice, and salt until evenly distributed.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter and dark brown sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then blend in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Fold the mixed dried fruit and chopped crystallized ginger into the batter until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the cold cream cheese and beat until just combined. Sift in the icing sugar, add the vanilla extract, and mix on low speed until smooth.
Once the cupcakes are entirely cool to the touch, pipe or spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the tops. Garnish with an extra sliver of crystallized ginger or small candy Easter eggs if desired.
Chef's Notes
- For an incredibly deep, rich flavor profile, consider soaking your dried fruits in strong brewed Earl Grey tea or dark rum overnight before draining and adding to the batter.
- Using cold cream cheese straight from the fridge is the secret to a thick, pipeable cream cheese frosting. The butter provides structure, while the cold cream cheese avoids the common melting issue.
- Brown sugar naturally holds onto moisture better than white granulated sugar, giving these cupcakes a longer shelf life and a delightfully dense, tender crumb.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container to keep the frosting firm and the cake moist.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unfrosted cupcakes wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Troubleshooting
Cream cheese frosting is runny or soupy
Cause: Cream cheese was overmixed or the butter was too warm
Fix: Place the frosting bowl in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, then briefly rewhip.
Prevention: Use cold cream cheese and room temperature (not melted) butter, and mix only until just incorporated.
Fruit sank to the bottom of the cupcakes
Cause: Batter was too thin or fruit was too heavy/wet
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Toss the dried fruit in a small amount of flour before folding it into the batter.
Cultural Context
These spiced fruit cupcakes draw heavy inspiration from traditional British Easter bakes like the Simnel cake and Hot Cross Buns. The inclusion of warming spices, citrus peel, and dried fruits historically celebrated the breaking of the Lenten fast, offering a sweet, rich indulgence to mark the holiday.
