High Altitude Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
These high altitude snickerdoodle cupcakes are soft, tender and fluffy, frosted with cinnamon buttercream and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 oz full fat cream cheese (block style), softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg or cardamom (optional)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup buttermilk (or use 2/3 cup whole milk + 1 tsp white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
Buttercream
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp meringue powder (optional)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 tsp ground cinnamon)
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line two standard muffins pans with 16 paper liners, and lightly spray the insides of the liners with non-stick baking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed (#4-6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer) for 7 minutes. Scrape the bowl down several times while mixing.
- Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating in each egg on medium speed for 1 full minute before adding the next egg. Add the vanilla.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and spices. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Increase speed to medium and beat for 15 seconds.
- Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them no more than 2/3 - 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently touched.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for several minutes, then gently transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, cinnamon, cream of tartar and salt. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls, mixing until combined but clumpy. Add the vanilla.
- Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the bowl several times. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 1 more minute.
- Fit a 16-inch disposable piping bag with tip 1M, and fill half full with the buttercream. Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes. Before the buttercream crusts over, sprinkle the cupcakes with the cinnamon sugar.
Notes
Store the leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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