Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
Cream 5 tablespoons of the butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and remove to a rack to cool.
To make frosting: Cream the 2 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese together. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon extract and beat. When the cupcakes are cool, frost the tops with the frosting and serve.
By Irishwitch
Thank goodness I still have enough kid in me to love gingerbread "everything" from cookies to cake and muffins. It is something that takes me all the way back to when I was in the first grade at school, and would come home to mom in the kitchen with nice warm gingerbread cooling on the table, and a big glass of milk to go with it. What I wouldn't give for just one more day of that.
Thanks for jogging my memory button Jodi.
Lee