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cinnamon cupcakes

Cinnamon Cupcakes Recipe

Bernice Baran
These cinnamon cupcakes are made with my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe and a gorgeous brown sugar cinnamon swirl throughout the cupcake. They’re frosted with a cinnamon brown sugar ermine buttercream and a dusting of cinnamon.
4.91 from 41 votes
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Cupcakes
Cuisine American
Servings 14 cupcakes
Calories 384 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Cinnamon Buttercream

  • 3/4 cup (150g) light or dark brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup (6oz) milk
  • 1 1/4 cup (283g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • dusting of cinnamon

Cinnamon Swirl

  • 1/4 cup (50g) light or dark brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cup (172g) cake flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60mL) canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream
  • 1/3 cup (78mL) whole milk room temperature

Instructions
 

Cinnamon Buttercream

  • In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon. Whisk until they're well distributed.
    3/4 cup (150g) light or dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour, 1/8 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp cinnamon
  • While whisking, slowly pour in the milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. 
    3/4 cup (6oz) milk
  • Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously (but not too aggressively) for 3-5 minutes.
  • When the mixture thickens and begins to hold streaks, whisk quicker for about another 30-60 seconds. It should be thick like custard.
  • Pour the mixture into a heat safe container, cover it and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Cinnamon Swirl

  • Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
    1/4 cup (50g) light or dark brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (325F/163C conventional) and line 14 muffin tins with cupcake liners (preferably a light colored pan).*
  • In a medium bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
    1 1/2 cup (172g) cake flour, 1/2 Tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • Add the oil and butter to the dry ingredients and use an electric mixer to beat them together until they're combined.
    1/4 cup (60mL) canola oil, 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until they're fully combined.
    1 large egg, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • Then add the sour cream and milk, mixing just until the batter is smooth. 
    1/2 cup (113g) sour cream, 1/3 cup (78mL) whole milk
  • Fill each cupcake liner about 1/3 full of batter (about 30g each), spread 1-2 tsp of cinnamon sugar filling on top and then top with the other half of the batter, filling the muffin tins up to about 3/4 full (another 20g of batter on top).
  • Use a knife to make a gently swirl throughout the cupcakes and bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes. They should no longer look wet and when you press on the center of the cupcake it should spring back.
  • Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the cupcake pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.

Finish Buttercream

  • Once the custard portion for the buttercream has cooled completely, place the butter into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.**
    1 1/4 cup (283g) unsalted butter
  • Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, to beat the butter at full speed for 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape the edge of the bowl every so often.
  • When the butter is pale and fluffy, add the cooled custard in 3-4 increments, with the mixture running at medium-high speed.
  • Add the vanilla and mix until it's fully combined and smooth.
    2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • To remove any excess air for smooth piping, you can switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for a few minutes *optional.

Assemble

  • Use a piping bag fit with a large round piping tip to frost the cupcakes.
  • Use a small sieve to dust with cinnamon.
    dusting of cinnamon
  • Serve fresh or just slightly chilled.

Notes

*I normally get 13 cupcakes with a little batter left (about half a cupcakes worth) from my vanilla cupcake recipe, however since we're filling part of the cupcakes with the brown sugar filling, I was able to squeeze out 14 cupcakes.
If you do only 13 cupcakes you should have a 2 tablespoons or so left of batter, don't be tempted to use the whole batter. If you add slightly more batter to the cupcakes they can sink, shrivel up or have muffin tops.
If you only have one cupcake pan, the batter is fine to wait at room temperature while the first set bakes.
**if your room temperature is warm, place the custard and the butter for the buttercream in the fridge for 10-20 minutes before finishing the buttercream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 384kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 3gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 117mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28g
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