These Copycat Sprinkles Triple Cinnamon Cupcakes have a moist, dense buttermilk cake topped with creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. All rolled in cinnamon sugar!
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 CupcakesCupcake recipe modified from one by Martha Stewart found via Crazy for Crust. Frosting recipe is adapted from Food.com