Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard 12-well muffin tin with white parchment paper liners.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the dark molasses and egg, mixing until fully incorporated and deeply brown.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Alternate adding the dry spice mixture and the whole milk to the bowl in three parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until no dry flour streaks remain.

Fill each white parchment paper liner about two-thirds full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the tops spring back to a light touch. Let them cool completely on a wire rack or white ceramic plate.

In a clean bowl, beat the 1 cup of softened butter until creamy. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in the heavy cream, then add it to the butter. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until you achieve a light beige, tall, fluffy swirl consistency.

Pipe a tall swirl of the espresso buttercream onto each cooled cupcake. Drizzle the thick amber caramel sauce over the peaks, letting it drip into the crevices. Finish immediately with a dusting of ground cinnamon and coarse gingerbread cookie crumbs.