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!
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So, Michelle, if you were to make these into ‘churro cupcakes’ for the most holy of eating holidays tomorrow, would you change anything?
PS: Love everything about all your recipes, especially the cupcakes!
Hi Michelle – I love your website and I can’t wait to try this recipe! Any suggestions on how to tell when the sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees F (for the icing)? I don’t have a thermometer.
Hi Kara, Oh that’s virtually impossible to pinpoint without a thermometer :(
Here at our Bakery we crush our snickerdoodle cookies and add them to the cupcake and frosting. They are snatched up every time we bake them.
I just made these today and they are AWESOME!! They have a great cinnamon flavor, and are super soft and moist. I made a cinnamon whipped buttercream instead of the 7 minute frosting because they won’t be eaten immediately, and it was really good on them! Thanks again for sharing another yummy recipe:)
I am a huge fan of yours! I just finished making these cupcakes today for Father’s day, due to snickerdoodles being my Father-in-law’s favorite cookie. I have had such success with your cupcake recipes! People rave and rave about them, especially the Irish Car Bomb cupcakes. Thanks for sharing these awesome recipes and helping to make the special moments in my life a little more special (I made your strawberry cupcakes for my son’s first bday party last week – huge success!)
These look so yummy! I never have much luck with made-from-scratch cakes. I like to use boxed mixes ‘amped’ up.
I made these for my office this past Christmas and everyone LOVED them. I might have gotten a little angry because some people kept calling them muffins, but I set them straight. I bake a lot for my office, and most of my recipes come from this blog. I was actually asked to bake something for my best friend’s bridal shower and she asked specifically for these after seeing the pictures of them. Can’t wait to make these again and display them beautifully on one of her special days :) Amazing blog, btw.
I made your snickerdoodle cupcake and it was delicious. I tried a different frosting using 8oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup of apple butter, 2 tsp cinnamon and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar. They came out so nice. I’m so glad I found your snickerdoodle recipe. My husband gave the cake & frosting 10s and watching him gobble it up….I knew I had a winner!