Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

And the Birthday Marathon continues!

Our daughter, Hatti, turns 9 this weekend. And I really am beside myself, wondering, “How did those years pass by so quickly?” Of course, for her, that time has travelled a bit more slowly, as she has had her sights set on “double digits” for a few years now.  ;-)

Hatti has never been the typical cake with frosting kind of girl when it comes to celebrating her birthday. After taking one, maybe two, bites out of her first few years’ worth of decorated cakes and cupcakes, I changed my approach. I wanted her to have her cake…and eat it, too!

So for the next few years, I made chocolate chip cookie cakes, decorated brownie cakes, and layered brownie towers. And she happily ate her cake!

This year, however, I daringly ventured back into cupcake world with a recipe I was quite certain Hatti would approve of. After seeing Martha Stewart’s cute as can be Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, and knowing Hatti’s love for that famous cookie, I confidently gave these cupcakes a shot.

The original recipe’s Seven-Minute Frosting, however, received only so-so reviews online. So I exchanged it for a slightly sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. I just can’t go wrong with cream cheese frosting in this house. I do think it was a brilliant change-up.

And to my delight, so did Hatti! These pretty little cakes were completely embraced by her. Hatti ate cake!!

The cupcakes were moist and beautifully fragrant all on their own. Then, topped with a puffy swirl of cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon-sugar, they were made snickerdoodle-perfect.

Happy Birthday, sweet Hatti!

Birthday Kisses – Hatti and her grandpas, 2008

Hatti and my dad (on the right) share the same March birthday, and Blake’s dad (on the left) celebrates just two days before them. We have been blessed to share many birthday celebrations together. And this is one of my favorite photos in the whole wide world.

Print Recipe

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Yield: about 28 regular size cupcakes

Cook Time:20 minutes

Ingredients:

for the cupcakes:

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 c. cake flour (not self- rising), sifted

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 T. cinnamon

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-3/4 c. sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla

1-1/4 c. milk

for the cinnamon-sugar dusting:

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 T. sugar

for the cream cheese frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 c. powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide the batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Mix together the 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl for dusting the frosting. Set aside.

for the cream cheese frosting:

Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat just to combine.

Slowly add sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip (I used Ateco No. 808), pipe frosting on each cupcake. Immediately finish by dusting the frosting with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

for the cupcakes & the cinnamon-sugar dusting: adapted slightly from “Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes”. Here is the original cupcake recipe with the Seven-Minute Frosting.

for the cream cheese frosting:  a farmgirl’s dabbles

©

To see the prior Birthday Marathon sweets, please visit these posts:
Toffee Brownie Cake,
to celebrate Blake’s dad’s birthday
 Mom’s German Chocolate Cake,
to celebrate my dad’s birthday

I’m linking up with:

Cheryl at TidyMom for “I’m Lovin’ It”
Allison at Alli n Son for “Sweet Tooth Friday”
Kim at Quit Eating Out for “Saturday Swap”

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posted March 17, 2011 in Cupcakes, Dessert
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