A soft, sweet, and buttery cinnamon cake topped with a mound of cinnamon-flavored cream cheese frosting. A punch of spice in a cupcake that is versatile and can be served as part of different dessert and tea-time tables. The small cakes and the frosting can be made ahead.
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Double dose of spice
Cinnamon might be the most popular baking spice and we are big fans here.
These cupcakes are comprised of a simple butter cake enhanced by sour cream (for tenderness and moisture) topped with a delectable cream cheese frosting with cinnamon.
Both are flavored with pungent ground cinnamon, of course.
And some cinnamon sugar is sprinkled before serving. Just in case someone needs an extra dose of spice.
It's a simple yet beautiful cupcake for a brunch table, a Mother's Day celebration, a small wedding, and even Christmas.
Cake Ingredients
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Cinnamon: any ground cinnamon you normally use works fine.
- Sour cream: the regular type, full-fat sour cream cheese is used for richness and creaminess.
- Unsalted butter.
- White, granulated sugar.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Vanilla extract.
- All-purpose or cake flour.
- Salt.
- Baking powder and baking soda: make sure they aren't expired.
Cinnamon cream cheese frosting
We use regular cream cheese frosting a lot. It goes with many cake flavors, from carrot cake to hummingbird cake. And it's a crowd-pleaser; you can't go wrong with it!
For these cupcakes, we kept it simple while adding another burst of warm cinnamon flavor.
The better the cinnamon you use, the better the taste of these little cakes.
Ingredients
- Cinnamon: any ground cinnamon you normally use works fine.
- Cream cheese: the regular type, full-fat cream cheese is needed for consistency and creaminess.
- Unsalted butter.
- Vanilla extract.
Why use sour cream in a cake?
Sour cream substitutes some of the butter and/or milk, adding moisture to the cake and making for a tight but soft and tender crumb.
The slight tanginess offsets the sugar and other rich ingredients, like butter.
How to make the cinnamon batter
Mixing: the electric mixer is used twice, for the cake batter and the beaten egg whites. I have two sets of beaters and use a hand-held mixer. You can use a stand mixer also with the paddle attachment for the batter and the whisk for the whites.
- Sifting dry ingredients and cinnamon: this is important for a fluffy cake. You can have them measured and sift them directly when you add them (like I do), or use a separate medium bowl.
- Stiff batter: after adding the flour mixture and sour cream, the batter will be thick.
- Egg whites: they should be beaten to stiff peaks in a separate, squeaky clean and dry bowl.
- Adding the whites: they are added in two or three parts, loosening the thick batter and making it fluffier. Always use a silicon or rubber spatula for this part.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Egg whites should be at room temperature and beaten in a clean, dry bowl with no traces of grease. Same with the beaters. Otherwise, they might not rise as they should.
Filling and baking cupcakes
- How much batter goes into each cupcake liner: as a rule, fill cupcake tins no more than ¾ of their capacity, to avoid overflowing during baking.
- When are they done? Cupcakes should never be dry, and overbaking them is not good for that. Always start checking 5 minutes before the estimated time given in the recipe. The moment that the tester comes out clean, remove from the oven.
Decorating the cupcakes
You can use a spatula and do it by hand, or use a piping bag with a simple tip. The latter is, for me, the easiest way to frost cupcakes.
Even if decorating is not your forte (it sure isn't mine!), it's pretty easy to frost these beauties.
- Piping bag: I use disposable large piping bags because they're fuss-free, and regular ones can be a pain in the b**t to wash. I sometimes reuse disposable ones twice. If you have leftover frosting, you can keep the bag in the fridge for weeks.
- Piping tips: there are two that I reach for constantly that are great for beginners, the round tip and the star tip. You can buy a decorating piping tip set that includes the most common ones.
- To frost the cupcakes, place the piping bag at the edge and squeeze as you circle it. When you're about to reach the beginning, move the tip towards the center and repeat.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Storage: the cupcakes and the frosting can be made in advance. Store the cakes well covered in plastic wrap, in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or frozen for up to a month. The frosting can be kept in a covered container for several weeks in the refrigerator.
- Flavor variations: you can add some orange zest to the cake batter or a handful of chocolate or butterscotch chips.
- Pan variations: this recipe can be baked in three 8-inch layers or 1 sheet cake. You'll need to adjust baking times.
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Cinnamon Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cinnamon cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
For the cinnamon frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, or more if needed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the cinnamon cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place paper liners in the muffin tins or grease the muffin cups.
- Cream 1 cup unsalted butter in a large bowl while gradually adding 2 cups sugar. Beat for 3 minutes, until fluffy and light. You can use an electric or stand mixer.
- Add 4 large egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix.
- Sift the dry ingredients: 2 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. You can do this in a separate bowl or have them measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture when prompted.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with 1 cup sour cream in 2 parts. This means you start and end with flour. Don't overbeat at this point. The dry ingredients should be mixed *just* until well integrated.
- In a separate clean and dry bowl, beat 4 large egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add ⅓ of the whites to the cake batter and mix with a rubber or silicon spatula. Before it's completely incorporated, add another ⅓ and mix. Repeat with the last part. Mix until no streaks of white remain but don't overdo it.
- Divide evenly between the paper liners, filling no more than ¾ of their capacity.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
For the cinnamon frosting:
- Beat 8 ounces cream cheese and ½ cup unsalted butter in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix well.
- Add the rest of the 1 ½ cups of sugar as needed, until you have a thick, pipeable consistency. Don't add too much before trying it out and making sure you can pipe it easily. You might not use all of the powdered sugar.
- Add ¼ teaspoon vanilla. If the frosting is too loose, add more sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
- Frost cupcakes right before serving them and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (mix 1 tablespoon regular or brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl) or just cinnamon if you want to.
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