Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
When thinking about baking for Christmas I think most everyone (including myself) automatically thinks of cookies. They’re easy to arrange on trays, and hello! That’s what you need to leave for Santa. And everyone knows if you don’t leave milk and cookies for Santa then he might not stop at your house. Obviously, very important consideration needs to be given to cookies. However, the one thing I tend to overlook at the holidays is cupcakes. Such a shame, because once I started thinking about it, they provide a great opportunity to put festive flavors into portable little desserts. Perfect for office potluck parties or gatherings with friends. Since snickerdoodles are one of my all-time favorite Christmas cookies, I thought that transforming their flavor into a cupcake would be awesome. And it totally is.
These taste exactly.like.a.snickerdoodle. Exactly. Which sort of amazes and delights me all at the same time.
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The cake part is soft, moist and infused with cinnamon. You know how snickerdoodles don’t just taste like cinnamon cookies, but have that can’t-put-your-finger-on-it unique flavor? Well, these cupcakes capture that flavor to a tee. As a result, I adore them! They are topped with a sweet little kiss of seven minute frosting and then are dusted with cinnamon-sugar.
Christmas cookie in a cupcake. Love it!
Four years ago: Chocolate Chip Tea Cookies
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (305 ml) whole milk
For the Seven-Minute Frosting:
- 1½ cups (300 g) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- ⅔ cup (166.67 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 6 egg whites, at room temperature
For the Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.
- Divide the batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes and frosting. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
- Make the Frosting: Combine 1½ cups granulated sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating to combine.
- As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees F, remove from the heat. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise the speed to medium-high; whisk until the mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.
- Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (Ateco #809 or Wilton #1A), pipe frosting on each cupcake: Hold the bag over the cupcake with tip just above the top, and squeeze to create a dome of frosting, then release pressure and pull up to form a peak.
- Combine the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Using a small, fine sieve, dust the peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Frosted cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
These are great! I love Snickerdoodle cookies, and these cupcakes taste the same, so good! i used a bowl that was a little too small to make the frosting (i didn’t feel like hauling out my stand up mixer), but i should’ve listened to the instructions bc man that frosting really flies! Needless to say, my kitchen was covered in sticky but delicious frosting lol… I had never made the 7 minute frosting before, so that was interesting to try it out. I’ll definitely be making these again! But this time with a much bigger bowl for the frosting ;)
Since you are reviewing these comments first, I know this will be private…but it doesn’t look good when someone takes another person’s recipe and claims it as their own. This is a Martha Stewart recipe and she should have been given credit. Not left to make it looks like you made it up.
Melody, I did credit Martha Stewart, the link is at the bottom of the recipe, but thank you for your concern.
Can you use skim milk or 1% instead of whole milk?
Hi Alysia, I would not use skim milk. Ideally, I’d use 2% if you can’t use whole milk, so if definitely can’t use that or whole milk, use 1%.
I baked these delicious cupcakes recently and had my friends try them before I would tell what they were called. Several guests said, “I know this flavor but I can’t put my finger on it.” When I said “Snickerdoodle,” they all smiled. YES! I, too, frosted mine with cream cheese (+ a little cinnamon) frosting due to a time constraint. This cupcake definitely satisfied my sweet tooth!
http://azmaveth.com/pics/Emma/Snickerdoodle%20cupcake.jpg
Oh, and I wish I had seen Andrea’s comment from September above, before I made the frosting. There was indeed a lot. I estimate that I could have halved the frosting and had plenty for a full batch of the cupcakes. And I, too, think that the only reason for cake in general is frosting! =) I was sad when I saw how much was left, because I was on my way out the door to a function, otherwise I would have whipped up another batch of the cupcakes and used the leftovers to frost those. As it was, I had to throw the remainders out :( Sad face.
I just made these and they were absolutely amazing! Thanks, Michelle. I’ve never made a meringue-based frosting before, and these looked exquisite and tasted even better, just like snickerdoodles! I want to post a picture but I’m not sure how to do that/if I’m allowed to do that on here?
Hi Emma, You are definitely allowed. You would need to upload it somewhere and then use HTML in the comment box here to share it. Or, you could share it on the BEB Facebook page if you’d like! (http://www.facebook.com/browneyedbaker)
I just made these and as I was making the icing, my candy thermometer wouldnt work. I hope I got that temp of the corn syrup, water and sugar right. I’m probably worried for nothing, the icing tastes good and looks great. I’m hoping that it was so hot when I poured the mixture into the egg whites, it cooked them? I have sampled them and they taste really good.
Was wanting to do this as a cake. Any recommendations as to the temperature and cooking time?
Loved this recipe! My only note is that I ended up with way too much frosting. Next time I will cut the frosting down to 2/3 the original recipe to avoid having to throw a bunch away. This is coming from someone who believes the only reason to eat cake is for the frosting
Hey, Michelle! I just made these for a baby shower and they were DELICIOUS! However, mine didn’t rise as much as I thought they would. Did I maybe do something wrong, or are they not super puffy rising cupcakes?
Hi Rin, As you can see from the photos, my cupcakes aren’t tremendously high. They do rise above the wrapper a little bit, but not by much. I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Why must you use the frosting immediately? Will it not refrigerate?
Hi Mimi, No, it’s a meringue-based frosting, so it can’t be refrigerated and used later, it “sets” very, very quickly.
My son and I love to bake. The recipes you have on your site sound delicious. We can’t wait to try them. Thank you for sharing. :-D
I made these cupcakes exactly as the recipes calls, and they were absolutely amazing!! Extremely moist and delicious! If you like Snickerdoodle, you have to make these. Thanks Michelle for the great recipe!
What can I use if corn syrup isn’t available? I live in a country where all available sugar is beet sugar, so I can’t even make it myself.
Hi Irmak, Do you have access to Lyle’s Golden Syrup, or anything like that? I have never heard or worked with beet syrup, so I’m not sure where to start on that. You could try substituting an extra 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1-1/2 teaspoons water.
Interesting, gotta try it. Cream of Tartar is the strongest taste in my snickerdoodles, wonder if it works here, or do the ingredients somehow simulate that flavor?
Hi Zane, I was amazed, but the ingredients really do simulate the snickerdoodle flavor. It’s great!
I was wondering about the cream of Tartar as well. i thought that was what made snickerdoodles unique.
Oh. Yum. Wow. These are lovely, buttery, homey treats! Pretty as a picture and they really do taste exactly like Snickerdoodles. I found that the easiest way to fill the cupcake tins (because this is a relatively thick “batter”) was to use a cookie scoop. I have one that holds about 3 Tb when full, and I used 2 of them to fill each paper. Very fast and neat – no drips to clean up, and they’re all uniform size, which looks appealing on a cupcake bar. Mine made way more than the recipe said, however, 34 in all. I kept baking and baking. And they all come up to the top of the paper, so they look perfect. Very generous recipe. If you haven’t made these yet, you just HAVE to!
snickerdoodles are among my favorite types of cookie, but for some reason they never turn out very well when i make them, but these cupcakes were probably the best i’ve ever had when i first tried the recipe. i tried it a second time, and i forgot what i changed, but they came out denser and chewier, unfortunately.
what exactly is cake flour, by the way? i used pastry flour, b/c i couldn’t figure out what cake flour was.
thanks for the recipe!
Hi Nick, Cake flour is essentially a mixture of all-purpose flour sifted with a little bit of cornstarch. It is sold in pretty much all grocery stores, right near the all-purpose flour. The most common brand names are Swans Down and Softasilk.
Michelle, for those who don’t want to buy cake flour, or can’t find it, it’s easily made at home, provided you have flour and cornstarch in the pantry.
1) Measure out the total cake flour you will need, with and equal amount of all-purpose flour. In this case, that would be 1-1/2 cups.
2) For each cup, take out 2 Tb (or for 1-1/2 cups, 3 Tb total) and put it back into the flour bag.
3) Measure out that same amount (3 Tb) in cornstarch and add to the measured flour. In other words, the 3 Tb cornstarch replaces the 3 Tb flour you removed earlier.
4) Sift or put through a sieve 3 times.
There! You just saved money by making your own cake flour, and you have one less item to store! I’ve never bought cake flour, in my 40+ years of baking. My mom refused when I was a young kid, and told me to make it myself. She said buying it was “wasteful.” I looked it up in the Betty Crocker cookbook, and found the formula. Have done it that way ever since.
Hi Cat, Thanks for the feedback. I have also included this substitution on my Baking FAQ page. However, I don’t necessarily feel that it’s wasteful to buy something if you’re going to use it all of the time. Plus, someone that doesn’t ordinarily use cornstarch would then be buying that to create “homemade” cake flour. Six one, half dozen of the other I suppose!
cool. too bad I just bought cake flour for this recipe. LOL
thanks.
Help! my frosting went terribly wrong! it is taking forever for the sugar to cool down in the bowl and is not whisking properly.
Hi Sophie, Do you think the sugar mixture got too hot? Did you use a thermometer, and is it calibrated? It does take almost 10 minutes for the bowl to cool down, but if you say it’s not whisking properly the sugar mixture may have hardened up too much if too hot.
Hi! I absolutely love you cupcakes! I want to cut this recipe down by half, would I have to cut the baking time down as well?
Hi Angel, No, not unless you make miniature cupcakes. As long as you are making standard-sized cupcakes you should bake them the same amount of time. Enjoy!
Made these today. I burnt the sugar/water part of the frosting and had to improvise w/ buttercream. They still were a hit, though. Should’ve bought a candy thermometer & been more patient with the heat of the stove. Live and learn
I made these last night…..YUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Mmmn! Snicker doodles are so very yummy, what a great idea to make cupcake with these flavors! :)
Oh my goodness, these look amazing! I definitely will add them to my list of things to try!
Lovely! I love the very subtle decoration on these scrumptious looking treats. I’ll bet these get gobbled up real quick!
Oh my! These look delicious. I really enjoy it when people deconstruct flavors and whip them up into something new. Great looking cupcakes! I like the warm glow in the photos too!
Oh wow! These wouldn’t last 2 minutes around me…I love cinnamon and the frosting looks so nice & fluffy & delicious. I absolutely have to try these!! Yummmm!!
Aaaah snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies! Making these ASAP! :)
this will definitely be added to my must try recipes!
I love cinnamon so snickerdoodle anything and I’m in! Your cupcake looks divine!