Cinnamon Cupcakes

My wonderful husband got me a mechanical pastry bag for Christmas this year. I was so excited to use it and equally excited to try a new cupcake recipe. I love the pastry bag and am excited to use it again. As for the cupcakes, I was worried that the cinnamon overpowering the cupcake and frosting, but that wasn’t the case at all. The orange zest came through and complimented the cinnamon flavors perfectly. The orange flavor almost makes these cupcakes seem like muffins. If it wasn’t for the frosting I might just eat them for breakfast.

Cinnamon Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcake:
1 Cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 Cup milk
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
3/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2-3 Cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. Stir milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat just until the butter melts; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick enough for the batter to fall in a heavy ribbon when the beater is lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in orange zest and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, cream the butter and the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Slowly add the powdered sugar, and keep adding until you reach the desired consistency and sweetness. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: Annie’s Eats