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cinnamon swirl cupcakes

Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

These delightful cinnamon swirl cupcakes have a box mix as a base and a cream cheese frosting. They're simple to make and delicious to eat.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18

Ingredients
  

Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 5 egg whites or however many your cake mix calls for
  • 1/2 cup oil or however much your cake mix calls for
  • 1 cup water or however much your cake mix calls for
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp melted butter

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 Tbsp milk optional, for texture
  • Cinnamon optional, to sprinkle on top

Instructions
 

Make Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
  • In a large bowl, prepare the white cake mix according to the package instructions, typically by mixing it with eggs, oil, and water.
  • Make the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until well combined.
  • Fill each muffin cup about halfway full with cake batter.
  • Add about 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon swirl mixture on the top of the batter
  • Top off the muffin cup with enough cake batter to fill it about 3/4 of the way
  • Add another small bit of cinnamon sugar on top. Stick a toothpick in each muffin tin and gently swirl everything around.
  • Bake cupcakes 18-22 minutes, or until the centers are solid and the edges are lightly golden (You can also do the toothpick test).
  • Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting and Decorate

  • In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter
  • Gradually add the powdered sugar
  • Add in the vanilla
  • Add in milk a tablespoon at a time to adjust for texture. You want a bit of a thicker texture so the cream cheese frosting holds its shape.
  • Put cream cheese frosting in a piping bag with a star tip. I like the Wilton 1M tip.
  • Pipe swirls of frosting on top of each cupcake.
  • Optional (but delicious): Dust a little bit of cinnamon on top of each frosted cupcake.
Keyword cinnamon, cinnamon cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, cupcakes