Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

I think they are so pretty when they come out of the oven. Being in the confined space of a cupcake tin forces the rolls to expand up and out, showing off their beautiful cinnamon and sugar spirals.

At this point you can slather the frosting on so that it melts into the cupcakes, or you can wait for them to cool and then frost them, so that they really look like cupcakes.

If you take the 2nd route, you can pop them in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds when you’re ready to eat one and the frosting will still retain its “form.”

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 tsp. or 1 packet (1/4 oz./7 g) dry active yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup warm milk (approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1. Dissolve the yeast and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar in the warm milk in a large bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.

2. Mix in the eggs, butter, salt, and other 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Add flour and mix until well blended and the dough forms a ball. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about one hour).

3. After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (I like to double them up because these cinnamon rolls are so moist), and lightly spray over the top of them with cooking spray.

4. Roll dough into a 12×22 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 24 rolls (I use a length of dental floss–works like a charm!).

5. Place each roll in a cupcake liner. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let rolls cool completely before frosting (or else the frosting will melt and slide off).

Frosting
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

P.S. Flop on over to see LollyChop’s felted cupcake “sculpture” and tell her thank you for being such a genius and coming up with so many good ideas for Cupcake Week! She needs lots of nice things to be said because she’s having surgery today to have her gallbladder removed. What a trooper! For those of you interested in hearing how her surgery went, I’ll be posting an update here tomorrow.