These Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes are a dream of mine come true! There’s cinnamon in the cupcake batter and layers of cinnamon sugar in the cupcake. Then, they’re topped with cinnamon frosting and sprinkled with a little more cinnamon sugar. Irresistible!
Looking for more cupcake recipes? Try this easy Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe!
Easy Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes
I absolutely love anything covered in cinnamon and sugar, so naturally I’ve been wanting to make cupcakes like these for forever. They’re the perfect dessert for cinnamon lovers like myself. They are soft, light, moist, and absolutely FILLED with cinnamon.
And I didn’t just want to add cinnamon to the batter. I wanted them to be unmistakably cinnamon-y. I figured what better way to do that than with 3 layers of cinnamon sugar! If you love cinnamon rolls, you’ll love these cupcakes.
Recipe Ingredients
These cinnamon roll cupcakes are made with kitchen staples that you most likely already have on hand! Same goes for the cinnamon sugar frosting.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- Sugar & Cinnamon: That’s it, folks! Throw together the cinnamon swirl by combining cinnamon and sugar. There will also be some more of both in the cupcakes!
For the Cinnamon Cupcakes
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking Powder: For a lovely rise.
- Salt: Half a teaspoon.
- Unsalted Butter: Bring your butter to room temperature.
- Vegetable Oil
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
- Eggs: You want to use large eggs.
- Milk: You’ll need 3/4 a cup for this recipe.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Frosting
- Unsalted Butter: Room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar: Every homemade frosting needs confectioners sugar for volume and consistency.
- Ground Cinnamon: But of course!
- Vanilla Extract
- Water: Or milk.
- Salt: Just a pinch.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes
There are a few different components that go into these cupcakes, but don’t let that fool you! They’re super easy to make.
For the Cinnamon Cupcakes
- Heat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Make Cinnamon Sugar Layer: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream Butter, Sugar, Oil & Vanilla: Add the butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add Half of Dry Ingredients: Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
- Add Milk & Remaining Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter may look a little curdled, but that’s ok. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not overmix the batter.
- Layer Batter & Cinnamon Sugar: Add one tablespoon of cake batter to the bottom of each cupcake liner. Add ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar swirl to each cupcake liner on top of the cake batter in an even layer. Add two more layers of cake batter and cinnamon swirl, for a total of three layers of cake batter and three layers of cinnamon swirl. Top each cupcake with about half a tablespoon of cake batter.
- Bake: Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let Cool: Remove your cupcakes from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Frosting
- Beat Butter: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add Half of Powdered Sugar: Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add Cinnamon, Vanilla, Water & Salt: Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and 1-2 tablespoons of the water/milk to the frosting and mix until well combined.
- Finish Adding Powdered Sugar: Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional milk or water as needed to get the right consistency.
- Pipe Onto Cupcakes: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar swirl. Keep in mind that the cinnamon sugar on top will soak up moisture as the cupcakes sit, so if you want the obvious look of the cinnamon sugar you see in the photos, you’ll want to add that just before serving.
Tips For Success
I’ve made these crave-worthy cupcakes quite a few times, and I’ve found the following suggestions to be super helpful!
- Layer All Cupcakes at Once: I like to put all the cupcake liners in the pan, add the first tablespoon of batter to each one, then add the first layer of cinnamon sugar, then repeat. It’s much easier to do each step all at once than to do one cupcake at a time and have to keep switching between pouring utensils.
- Use Milk for Frosting: Water will work just fine in the frosting, but adding milk instead makes it a bit creamier.
- Let Cupcakes Cool Completely: Before you frost your cupcakes, they should be completely cooled. If they’re still warm, the frosting could get a little messy.
- Use Good Cupcake Liners: Have you ever had the liners get stuck to your cupcakes? To avoid this, you can purchase grease-proof liners or add a tiny bit of non-stick spray to them. Grease-proof liners are a must for frequent cupcake bakers, as they won’t stick to your cupcakes and you don’t have to grease them.
How to Store Homemade Cupcakes
You can store your cinnamon cupcakes at room temperature for 2-3 days, as long as you keep them in an airtight container. I store my cupcakes in my cupcake carrier, and I love taking the top off and having the smell of cinnamon sugar hit me like a tidal wave. You can almost taste the cinnamon in the cupcake without even biting into it!
After 3 days, transfer your cupcakes to the fridge and enjoy them within the next couple of days. Though I seriously doubt they’ll still be there!
Can I Freeze Cinnamon Cupcakes?
Yes! Wrapped them well in both clear wrap and foil, then freeze. Frozen cupcakes will last for up to 2 months! Thaw them overnight in the fridge and bring them to room temperature, if desired.
For the previous version of this recipe, download the recipe PDF.
Print
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 46 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes are a dream of mine come true! There’s cinnamon in the cupcake batter and layers of cinnamon sugar in the cupcake. Then, they’re topped with cinnamon frosting and sprinkled with a little more cinnamon sugar. Irresistible!
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Cinnamon Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
For the Cinnamon Sugar Frosting
- 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp water or milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar swirl in a small bowl and set aside.
- For the cupcakes, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
- Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter may look a little curdled, but that’s ok.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not overmix the batter.
- Fill the cupcake liners with the batter and add the swirl. Add one tablespoon of cake batter to the bottom of each cupcake liner. Add ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar swirl to each cupcake liner on top of the cake batter in an even layer. Add two more layers of cake batter and cinnamon swirl, for a total of three layers of cake batter and three layers of cinnamon swirl. Top each cupcake with about half a tablespoon of cake batter.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
- To make the frosting, add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of the water or milk and the salt to the frosting and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional milk or water as needed to get the right consistency.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcake and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar swirl. Keep in mind that the cinnamon sugar on top will soak up moisture as the cupcakes sit, so if you want the obvious look of the cinnamon sugar you see in the photos, you’ll want to add that just before serving
Notes
Makes 14-16 cupcakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
- Calories: 417
- Sugar: 40.7 g
- Sodium: 109.7 mg
- Fat: 22.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.9 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40.8 mg
Enjoy!
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Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
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LOVE your cakes. How far ahead could you make the cake and the icing before you decorate? I am trying to be sneaky and make these without my husband knowing, but I’ll likely need to do the cake and icing at separate times, and then a final session to build and decorate.
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that! I typically make the cupcakes a day ahead. You could stretch it to 2 days, if you really need to. The buttercream can be made and stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to 3 months. Just bring it back to room temperature before using, or it’ll be quite firm.
What adjustments do I make to make a three layer 8” round cake?
I would double the recipe. And for three 8 inch layers, I’d probably bake 20-25 minutes.
Ok Great thank you!! I love pecans would that work if I added them to this batter?
Thank you for always being so responsive!!
I’m not sure if they’d stay afloat as it bakes. They may sink to the bottom. If you chop them up, they may be ok.
YAY! My mom loves cinnamon so I was going to make a cinnamon cake for her birthday, BUT I only found this recipe ( I only use your website ) so this comment was super helpful! Thank You!
I’m so glad you enjoy the site! My Cinnamon Roll Layer Cake is also a great cinnamon cake option. 🙂
did you change the recipe for these?! I swear it was 1 2/3 flour and there was also sour cream somewhere in there and egg whites, not just eggs…? am I crazy?
Yes, it changed quite a while ago. I usually add a link to the old recipe, but forgot on this one. I can update that later. I’m not at my computer right now. That said, I’d recommend trying these new ones. They are a little lighter and fluffier.
thank you! I was just curious, I had made these back in 2018 for my daughter’s birthday party and they were a hit, when I went back to it I wasnt sure it was the right eexipe! I will give the new recipe a try! I’m actually using this batter for an apple bread, wish me luck! 😊
I’ve added the link to the PDF above the recipe and added it here for you.
The Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes look amazing!!!!
Thank you!
How much does it cost per cupcake to make? Or how do you calculate price of ingredients?
That will likely vary based on your location and grocery store. I’d price out your ingredients locally and see how that comes out.
Hi!
What piping tip do you recommend?
I believe I used ateco 847 for these cupcakes.
Me and my best friend made these cupcakes in highschool before we graduated in 2022, we came across it looking for good recipes! My teacher and my friends loved it and so did we! Very cinnamon-y and delicious! The frosting is very creamy and delicious! The best cupcakes I have ever had!! Till this day, I still crave for these cupcakes!!! Well done!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoy them!
I made this recipe with both cinnamon AND cardamom and it was SO good! So fluffy and moist. I was scared to add too many layers of the sugar swirl (in case too sweet) so I only added one – but I definitely could have added two. I topped it with my newest discovery: browned butter cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream. Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Yum! Glad you enjoyed them!
Do you have a brand of cinnamon that you prefer to use?
I typically use McCormick.
I would love to make this recipe with 6-inch cake pans. Should I adjust the recipe or would it be fine?
It depends on how tall you want it. For a cake that’s about 3 1/2 inches tall, give or take, it should be fine as it is.
Rather than making cupcakes can the batter be poured into a cake tin?
Sure. It might be a touch more dense, but otherwise should be fine.
Making these beauties today! Question …
Would they taste ever more cinnamon roll-y if I did a cream cheese frosting? Or does the frosting still separate them from like a churro flavor? These look like heaven to me too!!!!
I think you could go either way. The cream cheese frosting might give them a little more of that cinnamon roll feel.
Esta receta me hace feliz…soy fan de la canela. Quería por favor preguntar cuantos gramos de mantequilla serían para el glaseado de azúcar y canela, soy de España y aquí no utilizamos tazas. Y también saber si se pueden congelar con el glaseado. Gracias si me lees y me contestas. Una fan al otro lado del oceano.
Sí, puedes congelarlos con la crema de mantequilla encima. Puede que parezca más bonito agregarlo más tarde. De cualquier manera está bien. Y agregué la medida de gramos a la mantequilla en los ingredientes.
I make a lot of cupcakes and cakes! These were absolutely wonderful! Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Hi! i was wondering if i can bake these as mini cupcakes? if so, what would the banking temperature and time be? thanks in advance!!
Sure. They’d bake at the same temperature. Baking time would likely be around 8-10 minutes.
Hi Lindsay, this recipe is incredible. It was so moist and bursting with flavour😊. Could I add a sprinkling of ground cinnamon toast in between layers for a bit of crunch?