Laissez les bons temps rouler! Celebrate Mardi Gras with these fun and festive moist vanilla cupcakes, swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with cream cheese glaze and festive sprinkles!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword king cake cupcakes
Prep Time 45 minutesminutes
Cook Time 18 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour3 minutesminutes
Servings 18cupcakes
Calories 273kcal
Author Erica
Ingredients
1 ½cupsall-purpose flour
½teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsalt
½cupunsalted buttermelted
1cupgranulated sugar
3eggs
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
¾cupbuttermilk
Cinnamon Streusel Swirl
½cupbrown sugar
½teaspooncinnamon
1 ½Tablespoonsflour
2Tablespoonsbuttersoftened
Cream Cheese Frosting
8ouncescream cheesesoftened
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2cupspowdered sugar
¼cupcreamoptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with 18 liners, spraying them lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar. Mix together on medium speed for 2 minutes until thickened. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until blended between each one. Add vanilla and blend well.
Add the buttermilk and flour mixture in alternate additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined - don't overmix.
Cinnamon Streusel Swirl
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and work them together with your fingers, creating a crumbly streusel.
Fill the cupcake liners ¼ of the way with batter, then sprinkle in ½ Tablespoon or so of streusel. Fill to just under ¾ with batter, then sprinkle more streusel on top. Insert a toothpick in each one and gently swirl streusel around to distribute it.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking at the 18-minute mark for doneness. They should be a nice golden color and leave nothing on a clean inserted toothpick.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese for 30 seconds to soften it. Add vanilla and salt and mix until blended.
Add powdered sugar until desired sweetness is achieved. Mine usually takes about 2 cups, but feel free to add up to 3 if you prefer more sweet than cheesy.
(optional step) To loosen up the icing a bit and make it more like a glaze, add the cream and blend until smooth. It will still pipe nicely, but will not hold much shape, so feel free to skip this step if you're wanting a standard cupcake look.
Using a cupcake corer or small paring knife, cut the middles out of each cupcake, leaving a cavity about ¾" across and halfway down into the cupcake.
Spoon your icing into a piping bag or zipper bag, and use it to fill and ice the tops of the cupcakes.
Garnish with sprinkles and festive decorations. Serve next to real king cake for a fun contrast. Enjoy!