First, get your oven heating to 350°F and line your muffin tins with paper liners. Trust me – these cupcakes can stick, so don’t skip the liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt. The spices tend to clump, so use the whisk to break up any little balls – you don’t want someone biting into a pocket of straight ginger!

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter (it should be soft enough that your finger leaves an indent, but not melty) with the brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy – about 3 minutes. Don’t rush this step; it creates tiny air pockets that make your cupcakes tender.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. The mixture might look a bit curdled after the eggs – that’s totally normal. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour in the molasses and mix until well combined. The batter will look dark and glossy at this point.

Now comes the important part: Mix the hot water and oil together in a measuring cup. Starting with the flour mixture, alternate adding it with the water-oil mixture to your bowl, beginning and ending with flour (so it goes: 1/3 flour, 1/2 liquid, 1/3 flour, 1/2 liquid, 1/3 flour). Mix on low speed just until combined after each addition. The batter will be pretty thin – that’s exactly what you want.

Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full. I use an ice cream scoop to make this easier and keep them even. If you see any air bubbles, give the pan a gentle tap on the counter.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. They should be domed but not peaked.

Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes – they’re quite delicate when hot. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll smell amazing, but resist eating them while they’re too warm or they’ll stick to the liners.