Friday, April 20, 2012

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes


 Cupcakes for breakfast? Yes please! Ok I know that's bending the rules a bit but they are cinnamon roll cupcakes. Donuts, cinnamon rolls, poptarts, cupcakes....what's the difference really. But don't worry they'll be good the rest of the day too :).

I have about a dozen projects waiting to share with you. But when I finished these cupcakes this morning, I knew they had to be shared right away. These really takes just like a cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing...with about half the workload an less messy to eat.


I know I say this a lot but they were seriously easy.  The cake is a slightly altered Betty Crocker yellow box cake and the icing is a cream cheese icing with a Duncan Hines cinnamon roll icing flavor mix added in.

Here's what you will need:
Boxed yellow cake mix (I perfer Betty Crocker)
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 cup sourcream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 TBS cinnamon
toothpick

Cream cheese cinnamon icing

1 stick unsalted butter
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
5 cups powdered sugar
2 TBS milk
1 packet Duncan Hines cinnamon icing flavor

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 and place 24 cupcake wrappers in  muffin tin(s).

Step 2: Mix the boxed cake mix, eggs, water, oil, and sourcream.

Step 3: In a small bowl mix brownsugar and cinnamon together.

Step 4: Spoon one tablespoon of batter into every cup. I use a table spoon and a small rubber spatula to make sure I'm getting a level tablespoon to keep all the cupcakes the same size.


Step 5: Spoon 1/4 tablespoon on one side of the batter. Then add another table spoon of batter and 1/4 tablespoon of cinnamon sugar, and then repeat one more time. You should now have 3 TBS batter and 3/4 TBS cinnamon sugar.

Step 6: Take your toothpick and swirl around the batter in a circular motion, then sprinkle some more cinnamon sugar on the top.


Step 7: Bake for at 350 for 18 minutes.


Kinda like french toast right?

Now for the icing. I made the mistake of letting my kids try the it, the entire time I was piping on the icing I had two toddlers at my legs saying "I yike it" and "lil moe, peas". I love that they are talking now :)

Step 1: Cream together cream cheese and unsalted butter.

Step 2: Slowly mix in powdered sugar one step at a time.

Step 3: Add in milk.

Step 4: Add in cinnamon roll icing mix.

You can just smoother the cupcakes in icing and I promise nobody will care. But if your wanting it to have the roll look I used a wilton tip. With a steady pressure start in the center and begin to coil around holding the icing bag slightly tilted letting the icing fall down till you have covered the cupcake,


Now make some coffee and give it a test try! And of course in true cinnamon roll style we heated them up in a microwave for a few seconds until the icing was melted. Don't tell I said this but I caught the hubby licking his plate...shhhhhh. Haha.




Wouldn't these be adorable at a bun in the oven baby shower? Or for coffee with the ladies, morning meetings...so many uses! You really have to try these! And when you let me know what you think!