Article: published on 15 December 2025
Michelle Tsiakkas' Christmas Cupcakes
- Published
These sticky toffee gingerbread cupcakes are Michelle Tsiakkas' festive favourite, based on her mum's recipe. They're packed with cinnamon, ginger and cloves, and finished with a salted caramel mascarpone frosting. The mix makes around 20 to 24 cupcakes, depending on your tin.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
140g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
160g dark brown sugar
100g ginger nut biscuits, crushed to a crumble
2 tbsp golden syrup
90g molasses
2 tbsp double cream
10g salted caramel
4 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla
120g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
50g soft dates, chopped
100ml hot water (to soften the dates)
For the frosting
120g butter
240g icing sugar
¾ tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of cloves
120g mascarpone
3-6 tbsp salted caramel spread
To finish (optional)
Sticky toffee sauce, for a thin layer on top
Gingerbread (or another topper), to decorate
Method
Heat the oven to 160ºc fan. Line your cupcake tin with cases.
Cream the butter and sugar
Beat the softened butter until smooth, then add the dark brown sugar and keep beating until fluffy. Using an electric mixer, this takes around 2 minutes.
Add the crushed ginger nuts
Crush the ginger nut biscuits into a crumb (Michelle does this between baking paper with a rolling pin). Beat the crumbs into the creamed butter and sugar.
Mix in the wet ingredients
Add the golden syrup, molasses, double cream, salted caramel and vanilla extract and cream until smooth. Then add lightly beaten eggs in 4 additions beating on low to moderate speed.
Fold in the dry ingredients.
Mash the dates using a fork with little bit of the soaking water , fold gently into the batter.
Fold in the self-raising flour, baking powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground cloves, then fold in the mashed dates.
Spoon the mixture into the cases (an ice cream scoop works well for even cupcakes). Bake for 20 minutes at 160ºc fan, then cool on a wire rack.
Frosting and decorating
Beat the butter until smooth.
Add the icing sugar and spices, then beat until combined. Fold in the mascarpone and salted caramel sauce until smooth. If you can make this earlier and chill it, it's easier to pipe.
Once the cupcakes are warm, spread a thin layer of caramel on top if you're using it.
Pipe the frosting over the top, then finish with gingerbread, chopped pecans, crushed gingernut biscuits, sprinkles or any topping you like.
Swaps from Michelle
You can use gluten-free self-raising flour and gluten-free baking powder. You can also swap the gingerbread topper for a gluten-free alternative.
