Spin on a favorite cookie

I saw this recipe from SugarCooking and I had to try it since snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies.   The cake was pretty good, I would have preferred a cake that tasted more cinnamon-y, but I tend to like my snickerdoodles full of cinnamon.  Honestly, even if the cake tasted like nothing, it would be worth it just to eat the frosting! It was one of my favorite frostings ever, and thats saying a lot because I don't like cream cheese frosting usually. I used 3.5 cups powdered sugar for the frosting and it was perfect, very sweet which is how I like it.  I would recommend 3 cups for those who want a little more of the cream cheese flavor to shine through.  This frosting got rave reviews by everyone who tried it, they even ate the extra straight from the bag...


Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Recipe: Adapted from Martha Stewart, makes 14 cupcakes
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
• 1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream 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.
3. Divide 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. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. To finish, combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Pipe frosting on each cupcake. Using a small, fine sieve, dust peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
2. Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). Beat until smooth and creamy.

This cream cheese frosting would be perfect for fall if paired with a spice cake of some sort.  This apple cupcake from Ming Makes Cupcakes would be a great compliment to a cinnamon cream cheese frosting! Yum