Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 160 grams, 5.65 oz
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil 112 grams, 3.9 oz
- 3/4 cup sugar 150 grams, 5.29 oz
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream 121 grams, 4.3 oz
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp white sugar
Cinnamon Rolls
- 1/2 cup warm water 90-100F 117 grams, 4 oz
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast 7 grams, 0.24 oz
- 1 tbsp honey or sugar
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 191 grams, 6.75 oz
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams, 1.7 oz
- 2 tbsp brown sugar 25 grams, 0.8 oz
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature (56 grams, 2 oz)
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted (127 grams, 4.5 oz)
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes
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Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
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Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
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Whisk the eggs with a wire whisk for about 1 minute. They will become frothy and lightened in color. Add the oil and whisk until combined.
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Add the sugar and whisk for another minute. You can use a mixer to do this, or simply a whisk.
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Add the vanilla extract.
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Add the sour cream to the batter and whisk until combined.
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Now add the sifted dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk gently, until just combined. Don't overmix the batter, or it might become tough later.
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Make the Cinnamon Swirl: mix 1/2 tablespoon of ground cinnamon with 1 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of white sugar. Set aside.
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Now start by pouring about 1 tablespoon of the batter on the bottom of each cupcake tin.
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Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the Cinnamon Swirl mixture.
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Top with another tablespoon of batter.
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Now, sprinkle another 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon Swirl mixture over batter.
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Top with another tablespoon of batter.
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Using a toothpick, swirl the batter a few times to create a swirl effect.
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Top the already swirled cupcakes with one final 1/4 teaspoon of the Cinnamon Swirl mixture.
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Bake for about 15 minutes.
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Test if the cupcakes are done by inserting a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, they are done baking. Or touch the top of a cupcake with your finger, if it springs back, the cupcakes are done.
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Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool down before frosting.
Cinnamon Rolls
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Start by making the dough. First mix the warm water, honey (or sugar), and olive oil to a large bowl, or to the bowl of the kitchenaid.
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Add the flour, yeast, and salt to the bowl.
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Mix until combined and a dough is formed.
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Knead the dough for 4-6 minutes with the dough hook on low speed. Or by hand for about 8 minutes.
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Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with a clean towel and let it rest for about 1 hour. Resting time will depend on how warm the kitchen is.
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Once the dough has doubled in size, remove from the bowl. Divide the dough in half.
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Work with each half at a time, keeping the other half covered meanwhile.
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Make the Cinnamon Filling: Mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, cinnamon, and room temperature butter in a small bowl. Set aside.
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Roll each dough half into a 8x10” rectangle.
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Spread half of the cinnamon filling on top of each dough rectangle.
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Roll it tight from the widest end.
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Cut very small rolls, about 3/4” thick.
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Place them in a baking sheet to rise. You want to place them fairly close together so they won’t spread out too much as they bake. Place rolls about 1/2” away from each other.
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Let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes.
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Pre-heat oven to 350ºF while the rolls rise.
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Bake the rolls in the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes. They must have just started to brown when you remove them, or they will be too tough to eat. Don’t overbake the cinnamon rolls!
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Set them aside to cool.
Glaze
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Mix the powdered sugar and milk together.
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You might need more powdered sugar or milk to achieve the proper consistency. Please be aware that depending on the brand of sugar you are using, or if you measure your ingredients using a scale or a measuring cup, you might achieve different results. If your glaze is too thin and runny, add more sifted powdered sugar and test for consistency again. Same thing with the milk. If the glaze is too thick and not spreading, add a very very tiny amount of milk at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
To assemble
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Frost each cupcake with the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.
Then place a cinnamon roll on top, glaze with a bit of the sugar glaze. Let the cupcakes sit in the fridge for a bit before serving, as you want the frosting and the glaze to set.
Storage
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Store these cupcakes in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. The cinnamon rolls will lose freshness as they sit. They are best consumed on the first or second day of making the cupcakes, and at room temperature, so let the cupcakes sit on the counter for a while before serving.
Recipe Notes
Cinnamon Rolls: You will have about 8 extra cinnamon rolls, depending on how big you cut them and how large you've rolled out the dough. You could always freeze the extra rolls. First, let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes, then wrap the extra rolls tightly with plastic in a container, and freeze for later! To bake, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF and insert the rolls directly in the oven. Bake until golden.
Cupcakes: The cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months in an air tight container.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: This is my favorite Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.
Piping tip: I used the Wilton 6B Decorating Tip