Week 2: Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes

Okay, so I'm heading back in time to week 2 of my weekly baking obsession.  I was so pleased with the flavor & texture of the mauve velvet cupcakes from week 1, and so intrigued by some of the other recipes* that I decided to try another recipe from Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor.
(*I'm sure this will come as absolutely no surprise to those who know me - I had read the book cover-to-cover before picking which recipe to try. You know, just in case there was another recipe in the cookbook that was even more delicious.)

I picked a few that sounded interesting, but couldn't decide which one to make.  So I left it in Chuck's hands - and he picked Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes.  Aside from marrying me, that may have been the best decision of his life.  Good lord, these were delicious. 

How could you not fall in love with these?

Lessons learned & recipe thoughts:


1. I'd say the only thing that might push these cupcakes above & beyond perfection would be topping them with the chocolate cinnamon cream cheese frosting from week 8's Chocolate Snickerdoodle cake.
 
2. These cupcakes resulted in several coworkers accusing me of being evil.

3. Another super simple recipe.

Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes

Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (1 Tbsp sugar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend 1 1/2 to 2 min­utes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full. (You will get between 20 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans side by side in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 22 min­utes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners. Lift the cup­cakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your finger­tips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

5. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Sprinkle the frosting with the cinnamon­ sugar mixture. Place these cupcakes, uncovered or in a cake saver, in the refrig­erator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Store the cupcakes in a cake saver or under a glass dome at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 3 cups

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the con­fectioners' sugar, a little at a time, blend­ing with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute. Add the cinnamon, then increase the mixer speed to medium and blend the frost­ing until fluffy, 1 minute more.