I have a great cupcake recipe for you today, with a really fabulous flavor combo – cinnamon and vanilla bean, two of my favorites. These cupcakes are a delicious and fun, yet very easy twist, on vanilla or yellow cupcakes.
I wanted to come up with a few different cupcake flavors this week to make for a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, something a little outside of the box, and these were a great choice. The other two recipes coming later this week!
Everyone in my house is a cinnamon fan, so anytime I can work it into a recipe, I like to do so.
To keep these really easy, they start with a box cake mix. While I love a completely from scratch cake, I also love to doctor cake mixes to create all kinds of variations on cakes and cupcakes. If you can’t get your hands on vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste when making these, you can absolutely just stick with vanilla extract, they will still turn out great. I’m all about making do with what you have on hand.
Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 package 18 1/4 ounces yellow cake mix
- 1 package 4-serving size vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoon McCormick® Cinnamon Ground
- 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 piece 3 inch McCormick® Gourmet Collection Vanilla Beans, Madagascar, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Frosting
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 piece 3 inch McCormick® Gourmet Collection Vanilla Beans, Madagascar, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
- 2 teaspoons McCormick® Cinnamon Ground
- 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons half and half or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or line 24 muffin cups with paper baking cups.
Cupcakes
- Beat cake mix, pudding mix, water, butter, eggs, ONE tablespoon of cinnamon, vanilla and vanilla bean seeds in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just to moisten, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
- Combine remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with 2 tablespoons of sugar to create a cinnamon sugar mixture. Sprinkle a small amount on top of each cupcake.
- Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat butter, vanilla and vanilla beans in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir cinnamon into confectioners' sugar. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended after each addition and frequently scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Add half and half or milk; beat until light and fluffy. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost as desired.
Notes
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
To finish off my cupcakes, I mixed some coarse sanding sugar with some cinnamon and sprinkled it on top of my frosting. Love this recipe for transforming a boxed cake mix into something totally different and delicious.
If you love cinnamon, some other recipes you might enjoy include…
Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Cookies
Pumpkin Banana Cinnamon Pecan Muffins
Nicole says
I am making these now and you forgot to mention in the instructions to add the milk in the cupcakes. Hope they turn out. They smell delish!
dina says
they look delicious!
Emily @ Life on Food says
These little babies looks so good!! I love cinnamon and I love vanilla. I haven’t quite put the two together so intentionally. Yummy!
Crystal says
My husband is going to LOVE these cupcakes!! He loves cinnamon!! Thanks so much 🙂
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar says
Omg, pour some cinnamon on me! These look amazing! I LOVE cinnamon stuff!
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
These look so good! I have never made a cupcake with cinnamon, but it seems like a great idea!
Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen says
I need to bake with more cinnamon!! I want to devour that cinnamon frosting!!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
These look awesome!! I have a thing for cupcakes with a mile high swirl of frosting! PINNED
Christi says
Thanks Aimee! Yeah, I prefer a nice 50/50 ratio when it comes to cake and frosting! 🙂