Cinnamon Cupcakes

Cinnamon cupcakes combine warm, spiced flavors with a fluffy texture and creamy frosting for an irresistible homemade treat. Perfect for parties, holidays, or family desserts, these easy-to-make cupcakes bring joy to any occasion!

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These cinnamon cupcakes are basically a cozy hug disguised as dessert. Fluffy cake, creamy frosting, and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar make them irresistible.

The best part? They’re super easy! With simple ingredients and step-by-step photos, you’ll whip up bakery-worthy cupcakes! Perfect for parties, holidays, or just because.

Cinnamon cupcakes come together in under an hour, perfect for busy bakers and last-minute sweet cravings. Soft, fluffy, and swirled with warm spice, they’re a treat you’ll reach for any time.

Topped with creamy frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, these cupcakes shine at parties, potlucks, or a cozy night in. Simple steps and everyday ingredients make them a recipe you’ll bake on repeat.

What you'll need to make these Easy Cinnamon Cupcakes:

For The Cinnamon Cupcakes:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1¼ cups of granulated sugar, divided into 1 cup and ¼ cup
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ⅓ cup of sour cream
• ⅔ cup of whole milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon

For The Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

Follow along with our pictures, step-by-step instructions, and helpful tips and tricks to bake perfect cinnamon cupcakes. Let’s get started and create a batch of these irresistible treats today!

To Make The Cinnamon Cupcakes

FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.

SECOND STEP: In a small mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

THIRD STEP: In a large bowl, add the unsalted butter that has been melted and cooled and 1 cup of granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and sugar for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fully combined.

FOURTH STEP: Add the large egg, sour cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat for an additional minute or until the wet ingredients are fully combined.

FIFTH STEP: Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients. Beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are fully combined, and the batter is smooth. Do not overmix your batter. It will be a thick batter.

SIXTH STEP: Add about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of batter to each paper cupcake liner using a small cookie scoop.

To Make The Cinnamon Swirl

SEVENTH STEP: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture to use as a garnish on the cream cheese frosting.

Add about a teaspoon of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture to each partially filled cupcake. Be sure to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the batter in each cupcake cup. 

EIGHTH STEP: Divide the remaining batter (approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of batter per cupcake) evenly into each of the cupcake cups. Try to spread the batter to fully cover the layer of cinnamon sugar.

NINTH STEP: Using a toothpick, gently swirl the cinnamon sugar and batter together. Do not overwork the batter. You want to try to keep a layer of cinnamon sugar and not blend it in fully to the batter.

How to Bake the Cupcakes

TENTH STEP: Bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cinnamon cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cupcakes at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

ELEVENTH STEP: Once your cinnamon cupcakes have cooled completely, you can frost your cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar mixture over the frosted cupcakes.

To Make The Cream Cheese Frosting

You can make your cream cheese frosting up to 48 hours ahead of time. You will need to keep it tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Use a handheld mixer, on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes to re-whip the cold frosting. This will make it pipeable or spreadable when frosting the cinnamon cupcakes.

1. In a large bowl, beat room-temperature cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until fully combined.
3. Beat in heavy cream, vanilla, and salt for 2–3 minutes, until thick and fluffy.
4. Cover and refrigerate until firm, then pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

You want your frosting to be chilled enough (usually about an hour or two) to hold its shape when piped onto the cooled cinnamon cupcakes.

Cinnamon Cupcakes

Cinnamon cupcakes combine warm, spiced flavors with a fluffy texture and creamy frosting for an irresistible homemade treat. Perfect for parties, holidays, or family desserts, these easy-to-make cupcakes bring joy to any occasion!

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5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 26 minutes mins

Total Time 41 minutes mins

Course Cupcakes, Dessert, Desserts

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 505 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar (divided into 1 cup and ¼ cup)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• ⅔ cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

 

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the unsalted butter that has been melted and cooled and 1 cup of the granulated sugar. Using a handheld mixer, on medium speed, beat together the butter and sugar for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fully combined.
• Add the large egg, sour cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat for an additional minute or until the wet ingredients are fully combined.
• To the bowl of wet ingredients, add all the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are fully combined and the batter is smooth. Do not overmix your batter. It will be a thick batter.
• Using a small cookie scoop, add about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of batter to each paper cupcake liner.
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture to use as a garnish on the cream cheese frosting. With the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture, add about a teaspoon to each of the partially filled cupcakes. Be sure to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the batter in each cupcake cup.
• Divide the remaining batter (approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of batter per cupcake) evenly into each of the cupcake cups. Try to spread the batter to fully cover the layer of cinnamon sugar.
• Using a toothpick, gently swirl the cinnamon sugar and batter together. Do not overwork the batter. You want to try to keep a layer of cinnamon sugar and not blend it in fully to the batter.
• Bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cinnamon cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once your cinnamon cupcakes have cooled completely, you can frost your cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar mixture over the frosted cupcakes.
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, you can make your frosting by creaming together, in a large mixing bowl, the room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter using a handheld mixer on medium speed.
• To the bowl of cream cheese and butter, add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until all the powdered sugar has been fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
• Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and beat, on medium-high speed, for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until your cream cheese frosting is thick and fluffy.
• Cover your bowl of cream cheese frosting with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until the frosting firms. Once it has chilled, you can transfer it to a large piping bag fitted with a large piping tip. You want your frosting to be chilled enough (usually about an hour or two) so that it can hold its shape when piped onto the cooled cinnamon cupcakes.

Notes

• Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cupcakes at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
• You can make your cream cheese frosting up to 48 hours ahead of time. You will need to keep it tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use. You can use a handheld mixer, on medium speed, for 1 to 2 minutes to re-whip the cold frosting to make it pipeable or spreadable when frosting the cinnamon cupcakes.
• Make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature, so you don’t end up with lumps in your frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 822IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

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