Sprinkles Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes {Copycat}

These Copycat Sprinkles Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes have a moist, dense buttermilk cake topped with creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. All rolled in cinnamon sugar!

It’s the weekend! And that calls for cupcakes! Copycat Sprinkles Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes to be precise. These beauties have a lightly spiced, moist buttermilk cake with a cinnamon cream cheese icing that you will want to eat straight out of the bowl with a spoon!

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I love Sprinkles Cupcakes. I’m not going to bore you again with my Sprinkles Cupcake Obsession, but the infatuation continues. My Husband and I always get three different flavors and then split them, because that way it’s like we each only ate 1.5 cupcakes. Which doesn’t sound so bad, right? It’s practically like we’re on a diet.

The two flavors that we get every single time, without fail, are Vanilla and Triple Cinnamon. They are non-negotiable. The third is a toss up.

This copycat madness all started with my Copycat Sprinkles Vanilla Cupcake, which was, arguably, better than the original. Then I just couldn’t help myself from trying to replicate the Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes, and they are a show stopper! I can promise you that the only thing better than a Sprinkles Cupcake is a homemade cupcake that tastes like a Sprinkles Cupcake.

For two reasons:

1. You made it.
2. Each one didn’t cost $5. No joke. It’s outrageous.

Like the vanilla ones, these Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes have a tender, moist cake with a large crumb. They are so soft they practically melt in your mouth. Buttermilk has a way of doing this.

And this cream cheese cinnamon frosting…ohmigawd…it’s so rich and creamy, but not too sweet. The perfect amount of cinnamon in the frosting compliments the cinnamon in the cake without competing with it. {Sigh}

And then you roll the whole thing in cinnamon sugar. I don’t know what it is about cinnamon sugar but it makes everything better. These cupcakes are no exception.

Because cinnamon is the main flavor in these cupcakes you will want to use the highest quality Vietnamese cinnamon that you can find. It will make all the difference. If you use standard cinnamon, you should use more than I do below. You will have to add to taste. Regular cinnamon is actually a different variety and lacks the power and complexity of Saigon cinnamon. #funfact

You will love these subtly cinnamon cupcakes! No need to pay $5 for a cupcake ever again! 🙂

I got a lot of questions on my last post about how I frosted them, so, if you are interested, I explain at the bottom of the recipe how I recreated the Sprinkles’ frosted top.

4.75 from 4 ratings

Sprinkles Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes {Copycat}

by Chef Lindsey

These Copycat Sprinkles Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes have a moist, dense buttermilk cake topped with creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. All rolled in cinnamon sugar!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 12 people

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

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
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
• ▢ 3 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ heavy cream if needed

For the Cinnamon Sugar:

• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Saigon Cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ cup superfine sugar

Instructions 

Make the Cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven 350°. Line standard muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• 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.
• Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions on low speed beginning and ending with flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. You want to stop mixing as soon as the last of the flour mixture has disappeared.
• 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 minutes 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!
• Remove from tins immediately and let cool on a wire rack. They must be completely cool before frosting.

Make the Frosting:

• 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.
• Reduce speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until incorporated. Add the vanilla after the last addition and mix until incorporated.
• Be careful not to over beat this frosting, because you want it to be thick and creamy like ice cream.
• Add heavy cream in 1 teaspoon increments until it is a spreadable consistency.

To Frost Your Cupcakes like Sprinkles:

• Place a large dollop in the center of the cupcake and then use 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.
• Scrape all the excess frosting off of the spatula onto the edge of the bowl before starting on the sides.
• I hold the cupcake by the base in my left hand, but you could also set it on the counter or another 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 cupcake!
• 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 you 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.
• Using more frosting on each cupcake makes it easier! Fortunately this type of frosting technique is very forgiving, so you can add more or take off excess as you go.
• Gently roll each cupcake in the cinnamon sugar mixture, dipping the top and the rolling the sides. It’s all about finesse.
• You can either frost it this way or use a standard piping bag with your favorite tip. Honestly, you could also just slap a generous portion on top, because it will taste amazing no matter what!

Notes

Presentation – You can either frost your cupcakes the way I outline in the recipe or use a standard piping bag with your favorite tip. Honestly, you could also just slap a generous portion on top, because it will taste amazing no matter what! {And, aren’t these colorful cupcake liners adorable?}

Flavor Tips – Because cinnamon is the main flavor in these cupcakes you will want to use the highest quality Vietnamese cinnamon that you can find. It will make all the difference. If you use standard cinnamon, you should use more than I do below. You will have to add to taste. Regular cinnamon is actually a different variety and lacks the power and complexity of Saigon cinnamon.

Technique – You want to stop mixing as soon as the last of the flour mixture has disappeared so you don’t over-develop the gluten in your cake! Also be sure your cupcakes are completely cool before frosting.

Helpful Tools – I converted this recipe to volumetric measurements because I love you, but I suggest you dust off that scale in the back of your cupboard and weigh your ingredients. It’s actually easier in the end, much more accurate, and gives you a better chance of hitting the pinnacle of perfection in your cupcakes.

Variations – I also have a very similar vanilla cupcakes version! You could substantially reduce (or eliminate the cinnamon) in this cupcake recipe and add vanilla extract or even some vanilla bean seeds! That would make a heavenly vanilla cupcake.

Storage – Store unfrosted cupcakes well-wrapped at room temperature or freeze them! Unfrosted Cupcakes will keep at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to two months! Store unused frosting in an airtight, clean container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Frosting can be frozen for longer storage. Once frosted, cupcakes can be kept at room temperature for up to three days before the buttercream spoils. For longer storage, store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Cupcake recipe modified from one by Martha Stewart found via Crazy for Crust. Frosting recipe is adapted from Food.com

Nutrition

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 814IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 504

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