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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Beige pink cake stand with two frosted cupcakes and a cinnamon stick. White background.

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Cinnamon might be the most popular baking spice and we are big fans here.

From the glorious cinnamon bundt cake to the frosting used for the Mexican chocolate cake, we always keep different ones on hand and sprinkle them freely.

These cupcakes are comprised of a simple butter cake enhanced by sour cream (for tenderness and moisture) topped with a delectable cream cheese frosting.

Both are flavored with 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.

Halved cinnamon cupcake with frosting on an opened paper liner on a white marble surface.

Ingredients for the cake

Cinnamon: any ground cinnamon you normally use works fine. I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon.
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: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
All-purpose or cake flour.
Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the cake rise, so make sure they aren't expired.

See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.

White marble surface with bowls containing ingredients for cinnamon sour cream cake including vanilla, flour mixture, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla.

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 is a crowd-pleaser, 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. I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon.
Cream cheese: the regular type, full-fat cream cheese is needed for consistency and creaminess. I always use Philadelphia original cream cheese but other premium brands work fine.
Unsalted butter.
Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.

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.

Flour mixture and cinnamon being sifted. Close up top view image.

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.

Cinnamon cake batter in a glass bowl with a spatula on a white surface.

Stiff batter: after adding the flour mixture and sour cream, the batter will be thick.

Egg whites beaten to firm peaks. Close up view.

Egg whites: they should be beaten to stiff peaks in a separate bowl.

Glass bowl with cinnamon cake batter and whipped egg whites being mixed. White marble surface.

Adding the whites: they are added in two or three parts and will loosen the thick batter and make 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.

Muffin pan with cinnamon cupcake batter in paper liners. White marble surface.

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.

Using a piping bag to frost cinnamon cupcakes in paper liners on a stack of grey plates. White surface and background.

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 or an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen for up to a month. The frosting keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator in a covered container.
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.

Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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