Bourbon & Ginger Cupcakes

I've always been a pretty big fan of cupcakes. One of the reasons is because they can be any flavor and they can have surprises in the middle. I love surprises in the middle. Usually it's a candy or a cream of some kind such as a different flavor of frosting or a Reese's cup. Whenever we travel I have a tendency to look up bakeries to go visit them. We went to visit family and they came with us to a cupcake shop that they had never been to before. My sister in law still blames me for getting her hooked on their cupcakes :).

These cupcakes have a surprise in the middle too...a gingersnap. Of course after baking the gingersnap becomes soft just like the cake so it's a lovely mix of ginger and vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. I was trying to decide what frosting would be good with a gingersnap cake and decided bourbon would be ah-mazing. You know what? I was definitely right. Now, if you're not so much into bourbon you could always sub a chocolate liqueur or even just vanilla. I wouldn't recommend using the whole tablespoon on vanilla though, it may be a little much. You could always use 1 1/2 teapoons of vanilla and 1 1/2 teaspoons of milk.

I don't make cupcakes to often but I'm not sure why. I was cupcaked out for a while though. Maybe if everyone likes these fun flavors I will start making some again :)

Bourbon & Ginger Cupcakes
Makes 4 cupcakes

Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- yolk of 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
- ⅓  cup sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 gingersnaps

- 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt *
- 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- ⅔ cup whipping cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease cupcake pan or put paper liners in cups.
2. Whisk together the milk and baking soda until baking soda is dissolved. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and butter, and whisk until combined.
3. Add in the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk until combined and smooth.
4. Pour about 1 - 1 ½ tablespoons of batter into the bottom of four cupcake liners. Place one gingersnap on top of the batter. Pour another 1 - 1 ½ tablespoons of batter over cookie, completely covering the cookie. If there is any batter left evenly distribute it among the cupcakes.
5. Bake 14-16 minutes or until cake spring back when lightly touched and are golden brown.
6. Cool on wire rack.
7. Frosting: Mix together the yogurt, confectioners sugar, and bourbon until well blended.
Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add the yogurt mixture into the whipped cream.
Whip an additional 10-15 seconds or until the mixture is spreadable or pipeable.

*Do not mix together the greek yogurt with the liquid. When you measure the yogurt try to avoid getting any of the yogurt liquid, you want it as thick as possible.  

Printable recipe

Recipe adapted from Small-Batch Baking