These cinnamon cupcakes are the best fall cupcakes! The cinnamon cupcakes have a middle layer of brown sugar and cinnamon. The salted caramel frosting is made with homemade salted caramel and topped with more caramel! It is like eating fall in a cupcake.
These cinnamon cupcakes are incredible. In addition to the caramel frosting and the caramel pool on top of the cupcake, the center of the cupcake is the best part.
This is a cinnamon cupcake, it has two layers of cinnamon sugars. One in the middle and one on top.
If you are looking for more caramel recipes, try caramel chocolate chip cookies, caramel apple cheesecake bars, and millionaire shortbread.
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Why You Will Love This
- Easy to make- These may look intimidating, but they are so easy to make!
- Cinnamon cupcake- This has multiple layers of cinnamon deliciousness inside the cinnamon cupcakes. They feel so warm from the cinnamon spice.
- Salted caramel- The homemade salted caramel is very easy to make. It takes about 10 minutes.
- Caramel frosting- There is salt is added to the frosting to balance the sweetness.
Ingredients
Here are some notes about the ingredients.
- Room temperature dairy ingredients- Pull these out 2 hours before baking.
- Oil- You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil.
- Sour cream- Use full fat sour cream
- Buttermilk- This recipe needs buttermilk. The extra fat from the buttermilk breaks down the gluten strands and creates a softer cupcake.
- Slightly cold butter- Pull this butter out for 30 minutes. It needs to be cold to the touch, but still show a finger indent.
- Sifted powdered sugar- Sift the powdered sugar to avoid a gritty frosting.
Step By Step Instructions
Here are the steps to make, bake, and decorate the cupcakes. You will need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer (hand mixer). You will also need a rubber spatula, and a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
STEP 1: Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Use a sifter to avoid any lumps. This is especially important with bulk all purpose flour as it clumps up.
STEP 2: Beat butter, oil, and white sugar in a large bowl. Beat this on high for 2 minutes. Then, add in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
STEP 3: Add in the eggs. Add the eggs into the wet ingredients, then beat on high speed for 1 minute. This helps to aerate the butter and eggs together.
STEP 4: Add in the flour mixture and unsalted butter. Alternate these until combined. Mix on low speed.
STEP 5: Scoop the batter- Scoop 1 tablespoon of cupcake batter into the muffin pan with cupcake liners. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Then, scoop for another heaping tablespoon of batter on top of the cinnamon filling. Top with more cinnamon sugar.
STEP 6: Bake the cupcakes. Bake for 18-22 minutes with your oven temperature at 350°F.
STEP 7: Make the caramel. Melt the sugar in a saucepan. Melt every sugar crystal. Then, add in butter, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla.
Cool the caramel completely before using it in the frosting! This is very important!
For more tips and tricks, check out my Homemade Salted Caramel recipe.
STEP 8: Make the frosting- Beat the butter on high speed. Then, add in the powdered sugar. Mix in the salted caramel, heavy cream, and the salt.
STEP 9: Top the cupcakes with the frosting. Then, add the caramel and some pinch of slat from your flaky sea salt.
Decorating Tips
To decorate these cupcakes with the caramel on top, you will need a cookie scoop.
Use a 1 oz cookie scoop. Scoop 2 heaping scoops on top of each cupcake. Spread the frosting to the edge.
Next, use an offset spatula to smooth the edges. Take a small amount of frosting out of the middle, then smooth it down.
Take a small amount of caramel and use a spoon to smooth it on the cupcake.
Baking Tips
When you bake the cupcakes, they need to be ¾ full. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before decorating for best results.
The frosting needs to be smooth and creamy. The trick here is beat the frosting once all the ingredients are added.
It will start by being thick. As you beat the frosting, it will become creamy.
Before you pour the caramel on top of the cupcakes, make sure it is pourable. Heat it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
FAQ
Yes, just double the recipe.
Yes, this can make a thick 6 inch cake, or 2 layer 6 inch cake.
Yes. Double the recipe to make three layer 8 inch cake.
I haven't recipe tested this. If you make this with an egg substitute. Let me know!
Yes they can. Wrap the cooled cupcakes in cling wrap. Freeze for up to 30 days. Thaw for 1 hour before decorating.
Storing and Freezing
Store these cinnamon cupcakes in the fridge in an airtight container. Chill in the fridge up to 5 days. Let the cupcakes thaw for 1 hour before eating.
Freezing
Freeze these cupcakes after decorating by wrapping in plastic wrap. Store in an air tight container. Freeze up to 30 days. Let them thaw for 1 hour before eating.
Other Cupcake Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cinnamon Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cup All-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 6 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Oil canola or vegetable
- ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon Sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup Buttermilk room temperature
Cinnamon Layer
- ¼ cup White granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Salted Caramel
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature and cubed
- ½ cup Heavy cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Frosting
- 1 cup Unsalted butter slightly cold
- 4 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- ½ cup Salted caramel
- 1 tablespoon Heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Cinnamon Layer
- In a small bowl mix sugar and cinnamon. Set aside¼ cup White granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.1 ¾ cup All-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, oil, and white sugar for 3 minutes on high.. The batter should be very light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and sour cream. Mix until combined. Add each egg one at a time. Mix on low until combined. Then, beat on medium-high on for 1 minute.6 tablespoon Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoon Oil, ¾ cup White granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon Sour cream, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 2 Large eggs
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and ½ of the buttermilk and mix until combined. Add in the next ⅓ of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Once combined, add the rest of the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl and mix for 10 more seconds.½ cup Buttermilk
- Use a tablespoon and scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each cupcake liner. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of the batter. Add a heaping tablespoon on top. Smooth evenly. Top with more cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes. The cupcakes are done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
Salted Caramel
- Using a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the sugar. Use a whisk and whisk continuously until all sugar crystals are melted. It will clump up at first, then will melt completely. Once all melted, let it sit for 10-30 seconds until amber in color. This doesn't take long, so watch it carefully. Remove from heat
- Add in half of the cubed butter, whisk until butter is melted. It will be very bubbly. Add the rest of the butter and whisk until melted. Then, add in half of the heavy cream and stir until combined. Add the rest of the heavy cream and whisk again.
- Add in the vanilla and salt. Pour the salted caramel into a glass measuring jar. Allow to cool completely before using.
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Pull the butter out of the fridge and onto the counter for 30 minutes. It should be cold to the touch, but you can see your finger indent. Sift the powdered sugar while you wait.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter on high for 3 minutes. The butter should be fluffy with no butter lumps. Slowly add in the sifted powdered sugar until combined. Scrape the bowl.
- Add in the salted caramel and salt. Make sure the caramel is a pourable consistency. If it isn't, heat in the microwave for 10 seconds. Beat the frosting on high for 4 minutes.
- Take a wooden spoon and beat the air bubbles by hand out of the frosting.
- To get this look: Use a cookie scoop to scoop frosting on top of the cupcake. Use an offset spatula to smooth and leave a small hole in the middle of the frosting. Spoon a small amount of caramel on top.
Heathe says
The center to these cupcakes are fantastic. And the frosting is just perfect.
Allison says
Amazing!!! Having the caramel on top with the frosting is delicious!