Week 47, December 22, 2014 ~ Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

So if a cupcake is based on a breakfast treat does that mean I can eat it for breakfast? I wouldn't judge you if you did! This was a hard cupcake week for me. It was the week leading into Christmas and I was going overboard baking a TON of cookies...way more than necessary but I still had to make a cupcake! I am in the home stretch and I am not about to give up now! So this cupcake is a vanilla cupcake with a cinnamon brown sugar mixture swirled in. Then they are filled with a cream cheese icing and topped with a cinnamon brown sugar frosting. 

This recipe makes 15 cupcakes

For the Vanilla Cupcake:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup canola oil 
• 1/2 cup buttermilk 
• ½ cup brown sugar - filling
• 2 TBSP cinnamon - filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together  flour,  baking powder,baking soda and salt. Set flour mix aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 eggs with the whisk attachment on medium speed.
3. Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed.
4. Add vanilla and oil and beat on medium speed.
5. Reduce mixer speed to medium/low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture. Add half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour mix and the rest of the milk. Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl. The batter should be thin.
6. Pour batter into a lined muffin pan. Fill to about ½ full.
7. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together then add about 1 tsp to each cupcake and swirl with a butter knife.
8. Bake for 12 -14 minutes at 350°F. Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove.

For the cream cheese icing:

• 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. 
2. Whisk in 1/2 tablespoon of milk and the vanilla. 
3. Add the powdered sugar and whisk that in too. Add more milk, as needed, to create a thick-but-pourable consistency. 
4. Put in a piping bag with a bismark tip and insert into the top of the cupcakes and fill with a tbsp or so of filling.

For the cinnamon brown sugar icing:

• 1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream if needed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth 2-3, minutes. add the vanilla, powdered sugar and cream AND BEAT FOR ANOTHER 2-3 MINUTES.
2. in a small bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. add the brown sugar mixture into the frosting and gently mix the frosting together.
4. frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or be super ambitious and make mini cinnamon rolls and top them with those. :)