Think about the best parts of a Churro. Crunchy shell, cinnamon sugar coating, sticky caramel to dip in. Now let me tell you the best parts of this Cinnamon Churro Cupcakes with Caramel. Cinnamon sugar sprinkle on the frosting, crunchy mini churro on top, and a drizzle of thick, sweet caramel sauce. Sounds familiar, huh?
Cinnamon Sugar in the Past, Present, and Future
Let me tell you a little story about cinnamon sugar.
When I was a kid, my mom didn't really like to cook. We had basic meals that we circled through; honestly, these are still some of my most treasured meals. I can practically taste the beef stew with rice right now... But one thing she made us for breakfast was cinnamon sugar toast. For as long as I can remember, she would toast the bread, add some butter and give a healthy shake of cinnamon sugar.
The cinnamon sugar shaker was this little cup with almost a mini strainer on top. It was a classic that was in my mom's seasoning drawer for as long as I can remember. It's the same cinnamon sugar shaker that you now see in my pictures.
I love being able to see something come full circle, right?
Let's Talk about Caramel
For these Cinnamon Churro Cupcakes with Caramel, I love the addition of the caramel. It adds such a warm sweetness that I love with the cinnamon sugar.
However, if you're not a big fan of caramel, you could substitute with a chocolate sauce, or a dulce de leche sauce. Whichever sauce makes you feel more in the churro-state-of-mind, I'm all for it!
The Cherry on Top..? Or the Cinnamon Churro Caramel?
I love putting the finishing touches on the cupcakes! It makes me feel so fancy like I own a bakery or something. No bakery, just my little kitchen.
When it comes to cupcake toppers, I always go for edible toppers. No one wants to be holding on to a toothpick all night, or accidentally eat something they shouldn't.
The other thing to keep in mind is the texture. I like adding something a little crunchy because it adds a little textureal excitement that I love. For example, if you were making a peanut butter cupcake, adding chopped peanuts adds a great crunch, while still keeping with the theme.
Keep in mind, cupcake toppers are really just the cherry on top, the real delicious part comes from the cupcake, so don't stress too much.
Cinnamon Churro Cupcakes with Caramel
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- A dash Salt
- 2 sticks Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 tablespoons Cinnamon
Frosting:
- 2 sticks Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar:
- ⅔ cup Sugar
- 6 tablespoons Cinnamon
For Topping:
- Caramel drizzle
- Cinnamon Churro Cereal for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the 2 sticks of room temperature butter and the sugar. Mix until the butter turns into a light yellow color and the sugar is fully incorporated.
- Then, add in the eggs, one at a time.
- Once the eggs have been fully mixed into the batter, add in the Greek yogurt
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together
- In a measuring cup, add the milk and the vanilla extract.
- With the stand mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little bit at a time, alternating with the milk. You want to start with the dry and finish with the wet.
- Using a large cookie scoop or a large spoon, fill the cupcake liners until about ⅔’s of the way full.
- Bake in the oven for about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes cool, gather the ingredients to make the frosting!
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for about 2 minutes before adding in the powdered sugar.
- Add the powdered sugar about ⅓ of a cup at a time. Add in milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Beat on high for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag with a star tip attached. Start in the middle of the cupcake and then slowly swirl the cupcake around the top of the cupcake before going on top of the frosting to create a swirled mountain of frosting!
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:
- Simply mix sugar and cinnamon together.
Decorating:
- After the frosting is piped, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the cupcake
- Add a drizzle of caramel to the top
- Place a mini churro cereal on top
- Enjoy your Cinnamon Churro Cupcakes!
Notes
A wonderful blend of two perfect desserts! Everything you love about a churro crammed into a perfect cupcake!
If you're a fan of cinnamon (and deliciousness), you have to try this on!
Cheers!
Holly Michelle
P.S. Want to know a little bit more about the writer of this blog post (that's me!)? Read more here!
CARAMEL
Oh wow - just when I thought I had tried every possible variety of cupcake - that looks scrumptious!