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    Home » Recipes » Cakes and Cupcakes

    Cinnamon Cupcakes with Creamy Cinnamon Buttercream

    Published: May 20, 2021 by Tara Kringlen. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    382 shares
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    Jump to Recipe

    These cinnamon cupcakes start with a simple vanilla cupcake base infused with cinnamon flavor and then swirled with a cinnamon sugar mixture. They bake up light and fluffy and then get topped with smooth and creamy cinnamon buttercream for a perfect hand-held treat.

    cinnamon cupcake with cinnamon buttercream sitting on an upside down tart pan with a glass of milk in the background

    Easy homemade cupcakes

    Homemade cupcakes are so much better than a boxed mix and really don't require that much more effort! This recipe starts with a simple vanilla cupcake recipe base with the addition of cinnamon.

    I didn't overload the cupcake batter with cinnamon because there is such thing of too much of a good thing with cinnamon. It can overpower the cupcakes with too much so a teaspoon gets the job done.

    Where the flavor really amps up is with the cinnamon sugar swirl that is added to the batter. Fill each cupcake cup about ⅓ full of batter and then sprinkle about half a teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar over the top.

    Swirl the cinnamon sugar into the batter and then fill up with more batter until it's two-thirds full. Repeat with another half teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over the top and swirl it in.

    Bake them for about 16 minutes, whip up the buttercream and voila, easy homemade cinnamon cupcakes!

    Tips for light and fluffy cupcakes

    • Spoon and level the flour: The key to many baking recipes is measuring the right quantity of flour. For many home bakers without food scales, this means measuring the flour correctly in your measuring cups. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup lightly until it's overflowing and then level the top off with a knife. If you have a food scale, you'll use 160 grams of flour. Scooping directly into your bag of flour or canister typically yields a lot more flour than you need leading to dry baked goods.
    • Don't overmix the batter once the flour is added: Overmixing the batter leads to more gluten development in the flour which leads to tough and chewy baked goods-no one wants that! Stir just until the flour is incorporated.
    • Use room temperature ingredients: So, I'm the worst offender when it comes to this one. I NEVER remember to take out my ingredients prior to baking. So if you can, remember to pull out the butter, eggs and milk awhile before you bake. If you are like me, you can use the microwave to soften the butter. You should test this with your own microwave as it can melt quickly, but I typically do 10 seconds at 40-50% power and then turn it over and do 5-8 seconds at 40% power. Play around until you find the perfect combo to soften the butter but not melt it! For eggs, I put hot tap water into a bowl and put the eggs in there for 5-10 minutes to warm them up.
    cinnamon cupcakes sitting on a round wood board

    Easy American Buttercream Frosting

    I use my standard base buttercream frosting recipe and add just a teaspoon of cinnamon for this cinnamon buttercream. Again, you don't want to overpower everything with cinnamon. These should be a balanced cinnamon cupcakes, not a cinnamon bomb.

    The key to good buttercream frosting is starting with room temperature butter. See above if you forgot to take your butter out of the refrigerator like me :-).

    I also prefer to use unsalted butter and then add just a pinch of salt to the buttercream to offset the sweetness.

    Whip that room temp butter for a few minutes to get it light and fluffy before you add the powdered sugar. Use the same technique as you do for flour to measure the powdered sugar, spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.

    Once all the ingredients are added, if it's too thick, simply add a splash more heavy cream and if it's too thin add more powdered sugar by the tablespoon.

    cupcake split in half sitting on a cupcake liner

    How to store the cupcakes

    Place the frosted cinnamon cupcakes cupcakes in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature on the counter for up to 2 days. After that, it's best to refrigerate them and they will be good for another 2 days or so. The cupcakes will begin to dry out as the days go by.

    How to freeze the cupcakes

    If you'd like to freeze the cupcakes, the easiest way would be to freeze them unfrosted. Wrap them in plastic wrap and then in foil and then place in a zip top bag.

    They will keep for a couple months in the freezer or even longer. I ate my wedding cake one year later on our first anniversary and it was darn good!

    You can also freeze them frosted. I recommend storing them in the refrigerator first for a few hours to chill the frosting.

    Again, wrap the chilled cupcakes in plastic wrap and then foil and place them into a large zip top freezer bag or another airtight container that will fit in your fridge.

    You can also freeze the buttercream separately in an airtight container for a couple of months. Let it defrost overnight and then beat it again before frosting the cupcakes.

    frosted cupcakes sitting on a wood board against a white marble background

    For more cupcake recipes, check out:

    • Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Banana Pudding Cupcakes
    • Peach Cobbler Cupcakes
    • Oreo Cupcakes

    Tag me on Instagram @themarblekitchenblog if you make this and leave a star rating and comment below! Thank you and enjoy!

    cinnamon cupcake with cinnamon buttercream sitting on an upside down tart pan with a glass of milk in the background

    Cinnamon Cupcakes

    Tara Kringlen
    These cinnamon cupcakes start with a simple vanilla cupcake base infused with cinnamon flavor and then swirled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture. They bake up light and fluffy and then get topped with smooth and creamy cinnamon buttercream for a perfect hand-held treat.
    4.80 from 34 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 16 minutes mins
    Total Time 36 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 cupcakes
    Calories 432 kcal

    Ingredients

    Cupcakes

    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 150 grams
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
    • 1 egg room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¾ cup milk whole or 2% will work

    Cinnamon Swirl

    • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Cinnamon Buttercream

    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3-4 tablespoon heavy cream you can also use milk

    Instructions
     

    Cupcakes

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
    • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
    • In a stand mixer or in a large bowl and a hand mixer, cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy on medium/medium high speed.
    • Add the egg, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl.
    • In a small bowl or pourable measuring cup, whisk together milk and vanilla. Set aside.
    • Starting with the dry ingredients, add about ⅓ to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
    • Add half of the milk and mix well. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry ingredients.
    • In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
    • Pour batter into each cupcake liner filling about ⅓ full. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over each cupcake and swirl it into the batter using a knife. Top each cupcake with the remaining batter evenly. Sprinkle another ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over each cupcake and swirl into the batter using a knife.
    • Bake for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
    • Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting with the buttercream.

    Cinnamon Buttercream

    • Using a stand mixer or mixing bowl and hand mixer, beat room temperature butter until smooth and fluffy.
    • Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until combined.
    • Add the cinnamon, salt, vanilla and heavy cream and mix until combined, light and fluffy.

    Notes

    • The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 432kcal
    Keyword cinnamon, cinnamon buttercream, easy cupcakes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

      4.80 from 34 votes (24 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. michelle says

      May 02, 2022 at 1:41 am

      4 stars
      These cupcakes are delicious and were a huge hit at a recent party. The instructions don’t say when to add the granulated sugar so I added it at the same time as the brown sugar. Even if that was wrong they tasted right!

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        May 09, 2022 at 7:59 pm

        I'm so glad to hear that! And oops, it's fixed now 🙂

        Reply
    2. Anouchka says

      September 07, 2022 at 8:43 am

      Hi! Thank you so much for the recipe! Can’t wait to test and taste it! How would you go about baking mini cupcakes with the cinnamon sugar? As the quantities are smaller, can I add the cinnamon sugar just once? I’m afraid pouring just half of the batter when it’s so small would be quite difficult? What are your thoughts! Thanks in a d’avance for your help!

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        October 27, 2022 at 1:58 pm

        Yes, just half the batter may be too small. Maybe do cinnamon sugar on top and swirl that in the batter and then add more on top.

        Reply
    3. Jacqueline says

      October 19, 2022 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      Sounds so good! Do you think adding a berry jam filling to the cupcakes would be a good idea? Which fillings do you recommend would be good with these cupcakes?

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        October 27, 2022 at 2:04 pm

        Hi Jacqueline. I think that would be delicious. I think any filling would work but blueberry and cinnamon sounds like a good match!

        Reply
    4. Lucille says

      October 27, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      Hi! I’m making this recipe this weekend for my dads birthday! I’m so excited!
      Do you think this recipe would work well in a Bundt cake pan?

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        October 27, 2022 at 6:16 pm

        Hi Lucille,

        I’m not sure if this would work as a bundt. It’s definitely not enough batter for a bundt and would need to be doubled. It could be a little thin for a bundt cake batter. You could sub some sour cream for the milk to try to make it sturdier. Good luck!

        Reply
    5. Hannah says

      January 28, 2023 at 12:30 pm

      1 star
      When i made these, the batter was super thin, the cupcakes felt kind of raw and doughy, and they shrunk a lot as the cooled, plus ended up in weird shapes. I did everything as followed, made no substitutions, but I'm not sure what went wrong.

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        January 29, 2023 at 10:19 am

        Hi Hannah, I'm sorry you had trouble with these. I actually just made these as I hate when someone has issues with my recipes and want to make sure they are working correctly! They turned out fine with a slightly domed top as they did when I tested them originally. Here are a few tips that may help. This batter is not super thin. It's actually a semi-thick batter so it's possible some of your measurements may have been off. As for shrinking when they cooled and the raw batter, this is likely due to them being underbaked. Did you check them with a toothpick or cake tester before they came out of the oven? A few other reasons cupcakes can sink are old baking soda, overmixing the batter once the flour has been added or the oven temp is off (usually too high). Hope this helps!

        Reply
    6. Cami A says

      January 30, 2023 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      Best cupcakes ever. 🧁

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        February 19, 2023 at 12:55 pm

        Thanks Cami!

        Reply
    7. Margarine says

      July 27, 2023 at 1:25 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing, but would suggest not putting icing, that’s just my opinion tho because these cupcakes are already moist and the icing with the cupcakes can make them really sweet but obviously keeping the icing just depends on whether you like your cupcakes sweet or not.

      Reply
    8. Audrey says

      September 12, 2023 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      I just made them and they are PERFECT!! I can’t ever get buttercream frosting perfected… but I didn’t frost them tonight. I’m going to let the frosting sit in the fridge over night and let it settle. Then maybe remix in the am? I don’t feel like I can ever get it creamy like actual frosting. But it tastes amazing!

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        September 16, 2023 at 5:44 am

        So happy you liked the cupcakes! If you refrigerate it overnight, just let it rest for 30 minutes or so at room temp before you whip it because the butter will be solid. You can also always play around with adding more powdered sugar if it’s too thin or more milk/cream if it’s too thick!

        Reply
    9. Connie says

      November 06, 2023 at 3:47 pm

      Have you tried these with gluten-free all-purpose flour?
      Connie

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        November 07, 2023 at 11:20 am

        Hi Connie, I have not tried these with the gluten free flour and don't have much experience with gluten free baking so I'm sorry I can't give you much advice. Let me know if you try it!

        Reply
    10. Oneillia says

      January 01, 2024 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful. Made them for New Years Day and everyone loved them!

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        January 05, 2024 at 8:58 am

        Thanks Oneillia!

        Reply
    11. Megan says

      March 16, 2024 at 11:25 pm

      5 stars
      So good! Didn’t even need half of the icing. These are divine!

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        March 19, 2024 at 8:21 pm

        Thanks Megan!

        Reply
    12. Alisia says

      April 10, 2025 at 7:16 pm

      4 stars
      The cupcakes were delicious! I added some nutmeg to it along with the cinnamon. The cupcakes themselves were fluffy, risen, and perfect. The buttercream on the other hand didn’t turn out well at all. I followed the instructions but didn’t have any heavy cream so I used milk as a substitute as it said I could. But the milk didn’t combine into the buttercream and just made it a soaking, wet, sloppy mess. I’m not exactly sure where it went wrong but if it was something on my part I’d love to know.

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        April 22, 2025 at 8:42 pm

        Sometimes this can happen because of the temperature differences between the butter and milk and it makes the buttercream split. You can try mixing it on high for longer and see if that helps. If it doesn't, you can either try heating the bowl up slightly (you can use a hair dryer for this) and then try beating it again. If it's really soupy, then it may be too warm. You can place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes and try beating it again. Milk has a higher water content than heavy cream so I don't typically have this issue with heavy cream.

        Reply
    13. Stephanie Fields says

      May 23, 2025 at 6:31 pm

      4 stars
      I really love this recipe. I’ve made them twice and have been a hit both times. The only reason I’m leaving 4 stars is due to the denseness of the cupcakes. The first batch I made I figured I must have done something wrong. I followed the recipe to a “T” and they come out super dense. The batter is super thick and makes it difficult to swirl the cinnamon sugar mix. Any tips to help with this?

      Reply
      • Tara Kringlen says

        May 29, 2025 at 6:08 pm

        Thanks for the comment. Yes, this is a thick batter. Maybe try using a butter knife if you are using a toothpick now? This is also why I have the batter divided and swirled twice to get the cinnamon sugar mixture fully into the cupcakes. To help with the denseness, make sure you are creaming the butter and sugar for the recommend time in the recipe. Also, avoid over-mixing once the flour has been added to the batter.

        Reply

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