King Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened, for filling
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened, for frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, for frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons each purple green and gold sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together and set aside.
- Beat 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, beating well after each.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk in three parts, mixing just until smooth.
- Divide batter among the liners, filling each two-thirds full.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool fully, about 30 minutes.
- Stir the 4 ounces cream cheese with 2 tablespoons sugar until smooth and spoon into a piping bag.
- Push the tip into the center of each cooled cupcake and pipe in about a tablespoon of filling.
- Beat the 8 ounces cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter until smooth, then beat in powdered sugar until the frosting holds a peak.
- Pipe a swirl onto each cupcake and finish with a stripe of purple, green and gold sugar while the frosting is still soft.
Good to Know
Bake and fill the cupcakes up to a month ahead and freeze unfrosted, wrapped individually; frost the morning of the party.