Sometimes I feel like I am a caricature of myself. I don't even think i'm a real person. I am that ridiculous. Or awesome.
I decided this Holiday season that what my life was missing was cute holiday antlers. I spent a whole week running into drug stores and trying on reindeer antlers I could parade around in comfortably and with little to no shame. It was hard to find a happy medium between too plain and too much Christmas cheer on my head. But I found some! Luckily I had a White Elephant party to attend so I didn't have to wear them just around in my room, in my matching reindeer pajamas. The antlers, along with said reindeer pajamas, were what inspired these cupcakes in the jar first place. Might as well go all out, right?
The cupcakes are gingerbread latte flavored. Like the Starbucks Holiday drink I binge on every year. Yes I know, more gingerbread. Molasses all over the kitchen for the second weekend in a row! You could use any flavor you'd like but why not make something seasonal to impress your friends?
Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes
Makes 22, Bake for 15 minutes at 350*
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c oil
2/3 unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup (hot) strongly brewed coffee
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg together.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugars, oil and molasses together, and add in eggs one by one.
3. Add in the flour mixture and the coffee in alternating additions to the sugar mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.
5. Scoop batter into lined cupcakes and bake.
6. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack until completely cool.
Latte Frosting
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons VERY strongly brewed coffee
Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add 2 tablespoons coffee (or as much as you can before butter and cream cheese starts getting soft).
3. Slowly add in 3 cups powdered sugar by the 1/2 cup full.
4. Add in remaining coffee. Add in remaining sugar.
Reindeer Antlers
1 cup melted dark chocolate
1 bag pretzels
Assorted Sprinkles
Directions:
1. Break your pretzels with your hand or a knife until you get the antler "shape" you would like.
2. Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals.
3. Dip pretzel pieces in chocolate, cover completely and place on wax paper.
4. Before the chocolate dries, use sprinkles to decorate. The sprinkles will adhere on their own if the chocolate is still wet. Make sure the antlers are dry before using.
Jar Assembly
Click here for instructions I used when I made my bunny jars last spring. Easy peasy, promise.
Admittedly, the antlers were a little tedious to make but only because it is HARD to cut pretzel pieces into the right shape.
The last layer of frosting should be thick so that the chocolate antlers will stay in place. You can also try making a small hole in the top cake layer with a knife and sticking the end of the antler there to keep it firmly in place.
Once I got to the sprinkle part I was having too much fun. The possibilities are endless! Mostly I stuck with pretty snowflakes, some holly...
But I couldn't help myself. Pink heart sprinkles exist for a reason. I'm sure there are girl reindeer out there, right?
No? Just me? Just Anna the girl reindeer being ridiculous? Yes, I did wear these all night long. In every single picture.
Happy Holidays everyone! Shop online, stay out of the mall, go to lots of boozey parties! Enjoy the next two weeks. I know I will. It's also my birthday this weekend and in case you are wondering there is no way that I will be baking ANYTHING. Someone better bring me a cake.
xo,
Anna
P.S. You can also stick some (stolen) Starbucks straws in these Gingerbread latte cupcakes if you're feeling lazy. Still looks fancy pants!
