Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes

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As much as I love cupcakes, I rarely buy one from a store.  Not exactly sure why – maybe it’s the exorbitant price or maybe it’s because I think mine taste better.  That is mostly true.  That being said, these cupcakes from American Heritage Cooking  is a copycat Sprinkles Cupcakes flavor.  So if you love Sprinkles Cupcakes, here is a way to get the same (or very close to the same) flavor at home…or maybe you just love cinnamon.

Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup low-fat buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 8 ounces cold cream cheese (no whipped, no low-fat, high-quality preferred)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold but still firm
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • heavy cream if needed
For the Cinnamon Sugar:
  • 1/8 teaspoon Saigon Cinnamon
  • ¼ cup superfine sugar

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes:
  1. Preheat the oven 350°. Line standard muffin tins with cupcake liners.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until thick. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla with the last egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
  4. Alternately add flour and buttermilk in three additions on low speed beginning and ending with flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. You want to stop mixing as soon as the last flour has disappeared.
  5. Scoop or pour the batter into the liners ¾ full. I use a large cookie scoop for this task and it works beautifully. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. I always start checking at 12 because I’m not a fan of dry baked goods. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out with a few clinging crumbs but no wet smears!
  6. Remove from tins immediately and let cool on a wire rack. They must be completely cool before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
  1. Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, salt and cinnamon on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  2. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until incorporated. Add the vanilla after the last addition and mix until incorporated.
  3. Be careful not to over beat this frosting, because you want it to be thick and creamy like ice cream.
  4. Add heavy cream in 1 teaspoon increments until it is a spreadable consistency.
To Frost Your Cupcakes like Sprinkles:
  1. Place a large dollop in the center of the cupcake and then used a small offset spatula to flatten it out on top while pushing the frosting to the edges. Add more as you spread if the frosting doesn’t reach the edges.
  2. Scrape all the excess frosting off the spatula onto the edge of the bowl before starting on the sides.
  3. I hold the cupcake by the base in my left hand, but you could also set it on the counter or other flat surface. Place the offset spatula on a slight angle (towards the cupcake center) on the edge of the frosting. Hold the spatula steady with your right hand while slowly rotating the cupcake with your left hand until you have gone all the way around. The key is a light touch because otherwise too much frosting will come off and you will be left with a bare cake!
  4. Scrape off any excess frosting from the spatula onto the rim of the frosting bowl again and repeat to adjust any imperfections. You can add more frosting if you take off too much as to spin, but it is not advisable to adjust the top after you start the sides. I obsessively scrape off my spatula on the side of the bowl as I work, because it creates a smoother finish.
  5. Using more frosting on each cupcake makes it easier but my husband doesn’t like a lot! Fortunately this type of frosting technique is very forgiving, so you can add more or take off excess as you go!
  6. Gently roll each cupcake in the cinnamon sugar mixture, dipping the top and the rolling the sides. It’s all about finesse.
  7. You can either frost it this way or use a standard piping bag with your favorite tip.
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