Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

As part of a little surprise welcome home dinner for the hubby, I baked some Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. They were very simple and unbelievably yummy! My husband is pretty picky about what he eats and he isn't very vocal about what he really likes. I know I have found a keeper when I see him go back for more and more and more... That is exactly what happened with these cupcakes.I was so pleased with how these turned out! They baked up so beautifully with perfect little dome tops. Unfortunately the liners turned a bit translucent once the cupcakes were baked. Half the liners had a sweet pink plaid design on white, the other featured a pink and brown floral print on white.

Iced and decorated. Some got pretty pink sugar flowers, other received demerara sugar sprinkles. This recipe is definitely one of my favorites I've tried. The cinnamon cream cheese icing was divine, sweet but not too sweet. The overall Snickerdoodle flavor was perfect, a great change from the usual vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream I typically do. Next time I need a treat for a crowd I will be making these again.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, recipe adapted from I Heart Cuppycakes

Made 24 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For Cupcakes:
1 package Betty Crocker white cake mix*
1 cup whole milk
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For Frosting:
8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5-6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

To Make Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan.

Sift cake mix into the bowl of a Kitchenaid mixer to remove all lumps. Add cinnamon and whisk or mix on low to blend.

In a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, combine eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Whisk to combine.

With mixer on low, slowly pour liquids into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, do not overmix.

Divide batter among cupcake liners. I found that two heaping "eating" teaspoons was the perfect amount of batter. You only want to fill them about half full as the rise considerably. I got exactly 24 cupcakes from the recipe.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

To Make Frosting:
In the bowl of a Kitchenaid mixer, beat together softened cream cheese and butter, vanilla and cinnamon until light and fluffy.

Slowly add sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue adding sugar until your desired spreading consistency is reached. I was pleasantly surprised to find that after about 4 cups, I had reached the perfect piping consistency. Fit piping bag with desired tip, fill, and decorate cooled cupcakes.


*I am usually completely opposed to using any boxed mix when it comes to baking. The hubby, however, claims to love boxed cake mixes, and as these were a treat for him, I decided what the heck. I am so glad I gave this recipe a try as it was absolutely amazing.

The cupcakes were very fragrant and moist and the icing was perfect-slightly tangy from the cream cheese and sweet, but not too sweet. Overall I think the cinnamon was brilliant in these cupcakes. I am a huge fan of cinnamon in desserts as the flavor is lovely and I find that it helps cut sweetness. These are such a pretty and yummy treat. A must try!