Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes Recipe

This Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes recipe is often requested for social gatherings.  These cupcakes are light, fluffy, and full of cinnamon deliciousness. 

After all these years of making different types of cupcakes, these are the ones people remember!  Surprisingly easy to make, these cupcakes don't disappoint!

The Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes Recipe

You will find real cinnamon throughout the cupcake.  Swirled inside the cupcake itself and generously mixed into the buttercream frosting. By adding a light dusting of cinnamon on top of these cupcakes, it gives it a beautiful finishing touch.

The Right Amount of Cinnamon

Cinnamon can be tricky - sometimes you can add just too much and it's overwhelming.  Certainly, this is not the case with this recipe.  Although it has cinnamon spice throughout the cupcake, it is more subtle than overpowering. 

Also, making and baking these cupcakes will awaken your senses with the enticing scent of vanilla throughout your home.

Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

To create the delicious cinnamon flavor in these cupcakes start by lining your cupcake pans.  Once they are lined, scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into the liners and top it with ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and repeat the steps until the cupcake liners are halfway full.  

Bake the prepared cupcakes in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes.  There should be minimum crumbs when inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcakes.  Allow these cupcakes to cool completely before attempting to frost them. 

If you frost them while the cupcakes are still warm the frosting will melt and slide off the cupcake.  Be patient! 

Ingredients in Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes

• All purpose flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salted butter, room temperature
• Egg whites
• Vanilla extract
• Sour cream
• Milk
• Shortening
• Confectioner's sugar

How To make Vanilla Cinnamon Cupcakes

Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin tins- Preheat the oven to 350°F and cupcake liners to the tins.

Mix the dry ingredients- Mix together the flour, cinnamon, granulated sugar, baking soda, and baking powder together in a bowl.

Combine the wet ingredients- Beat the room temperature butter, egg whites, sour cream, vanilla extract, and milk. Beat until the mixture is smooth.

TIP: A hand mixer is a great kitchen tool to quickly make your cupcake and cake batters.

Blend the ingredients - Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until blended. Avoid overmixing.

Make the cinnamon sugar- In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the granulated sugar. Set aside.

Fill the cupcake liners- Drop one tablespoon of batter into the cupcake liners and triple ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the batter.

Repeat these steps until the liners are halfway full. Top off the cupcake batter with a little more cinnamon sugar.

Bake the cupcakes- Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Oven temperatures will vary.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Spruce Up Your Cupcake

I believe that making a cupcake shouldn't be difficult.  A cupcake can easily be made by baking a vanilla cupcake and frosting it with buttercream.  Well, that's how simple this recipe is!  It's an extra step for the cinnamon - it's as simple as that.

These cupcakes don't take a lot of work but they succeed in elevating your everyday cupcake.  No one will even know how little work it took to make them.  😉  Additionally, they're a lot of fun to make and they definitely spark creativity.

RELATED:  Red Velvet Cupcakes

A Favorite to Those Near and Dear

My mother requests these Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar Swirl cupcakes for her birthday every year.  In fact, she doesn't even have to ask, she just expects them.  They're a real treat for friends and loved ones, they'll love them so much they'll request them time after time!

I'd had a lot of great feedback on Pinterest from those who have tried this cupcake and absolutely love it!  In fact, they make it for special occasions, too! 

📖 Recipe