Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
My 6 year old has named this the “Summer of Ninja”.
Which apparently means saving his allowance to buy real ninja throwing stars and one of those hooks you throw on the roof with a rope attached to climb up.
I’ve learned over the years that most of the time this stuff is just a phase, and if you kind of nod and smile and bide your time, it will go away on it’s own.
But then the other day my son was typing “Stuf everree ninja needs” on my laptop and I realized that this isn’t just going to go away on it’s own. So, I spent almost an hour fashioning him a throwing star out of copy paper, trying to convince him that Ninjas are using them now as a way of being more one with the earth. You know, because after they lose their lethal-ness you can just recycle them.
For some reason, he just didn’t seem to buy the fact that paper weapons are the wave of the future. His loss, if you ask me.
Also, he seems to have no interest in living out his ninja dreams by sitting with me and watching old school Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle marathons, which I just don’t get. Hellooo, they are mutated human-turtles, trained to defeat a bad guy who covers himself in metal. What isn’t ninja-ish about THAT?!
I think kids these days just expect too much. I mean, when I was his age paper weapons and talking turtles would have suited me just fine.
Sigh.
Anyways, know what else my son wants nothing to do with? Frosting.
Frosting!!
So…I guess that means more cupcakes for me?
These cupcakes are probably one of my very favorites ever. Cinnamon and brown sugar swirled cake, topped with cream cheese frosting and gooey cinnamon roll filling glaze. They’re all I really need in life.
Besides an iPad.
And my train case full of make-up.
And 32 pairs of shoes.
But really, that’s all I need.
(click here for printable recipe)
INGREDIENTS
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar + 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, combined
Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tins with liners.
In the bowl of a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, water and butter and beat on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high and beat for one minute.
Fill muffin tins about 1/4 of the way full. Sprinkle a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon/brown sugar mixture over batter and cover with another spoonful of cake batter. Sprinkle another teaspoon of cinnamon/brown sugar over the top. Cups should be about 2/3 full (try not to fill them more than that). Using a sharp knife, swirl the cinnamon sugar through the batter.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a cooling rack.
Frosting: (if you want to pipe it on high, double this)
8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium-low speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Pipe or frost on cupcakes and place in the refrigerator until ready to glaze.
Glaze:
1 stick (8 TBS) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with brown sugar an cinnamon until combined and pourable but not boiling. Spoon over frosted cupcakes and immediately place in the refrigerator to set.
Make these now. I guarantee you’ll love them or I’ll give you your money back.
SIKE!!
That sike was on the money back part, not the part about how you’ll love them. Because you will.
Have a happy Monday and thanks for stopping by!!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I realize you could be doing more important things with your time. Like watching the news or washing socks. I hope you stay awhile. Much more fun than socks, I promise. 
These look amazing!!! YUM!
Yum and double Yum!!! I love cinnamon, so I may just HAVE to make these!
Not only are these super cute… they sound DELICIOUS!
I would really like one of these right now. I am craving cinnamon like nobodys business. Well. Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes that is.
From what I've heard of your son, I can tell that he could be the most incredibly awesome ninja in all the land.
These are going on my must-make list, for sure!
Your son sounds like my husband with the frosting. It's like they aren't even HUMAN or something.
This might be my favorite of all your recipes! These sound amazing!
Kids today are altogether too smart and it's getting tougher and tougher to pull the wool over their eyes (how's that for an old expression!) I'm sure when you're not looking your son will be on your laptop typing in Google Search *Do real ninjas use paper throwing stars?* You'll probably be eating one of these delicious looking cupcakes in another room while he's doing it. LOL Great post!
Double triple yum!
I love you for saying "sike" in your blog post among other things of course! lol
Those cupcakes are so cute! I bet they taste even better and lol at you trying to convince your son paper weapons are the future. LOL!
Wow..you managed to merge two of my FAVORITES….cupcakes and cinnabon! SMOOCH
I love that you said "Sike" too! You crack me up!
I thought I had the only kids in the world that don't like frosting!!!!!!
(ha-ha more for us!)
YUM! Those cupcakes look awesome!
And I am worried that as soon as I read the like about the hook you throw on the roof I knew it was a grappling hook and I have NO IDEA why I know what that is called!
Maybe I was a ninja in my former life.
And please tell me that you have heard of Ask A Ninja. Because I think you need to watch them!
LOVE cinnamon. Ahh this has made my day.
Breakfast? I think so.
My grandson and I were playing Star Wars and I was Queen Amadala – I put a lipstick streak on my bottom lip and two dots on my cheek (like in the movies) and ran around the house with a plastic sword with him.
He thought the theatrical make up was cool so – unbeknownst to us – went to mommy's room to do the same….only he used permanent lipstick! ….and he had school the next day!
We have pictures for when he meets the girl he'll marry!
Cupcakes look delish…but I'm allergic to cinnamon. I wish I could say "SIKE" but I can't…
For goodness sakes, I need to wipe my chin. These babies look illegal! :)
how can he not like the ninja turtles? I LOVED those guys…not the movie version where they are real life, because that's kinda creepy, but the cartoon version!
I was a Michelangelo fan. He was the coolest.
And yes, cinnamon roll cupcakes are pretty awesome too!
I'm beginning to worry that the "Ninja phase" isn't going away. Your son has been obsessed since I began reading your blog! LOL! Not to worry, tho. Every time you talk about it, I laugh and think of my own brother who was in to the exact same thing as we were growing up! To the point that he would watch those stupid Kong-fu movies at night. Ya know? The ones that have been translated and the words don't match the actors' mouth movement? Anyhoo, Michael turned out ok.
You are adorable and these sound amazing!! But I gotta ask…is it "PSYCH" (as in psych-out) rather than "SIKE"? Have I been wrong all these years??
So funny about your son wanting to be a ninja. Last month I went through the same thing with my son who is 9! For about a week he obsessed over websites, begging me to let him buy all the stuff he needed to be a real ninja. Thank god that past… PS LOVE LOVE your blog I have made many of your wonderful creations.
Jen
Love love love the glaze on top, such a great idea. Since they're inspired by cinnamon rolls, can I eat them for breakfast?
This is so wonderfully naughty!
Oh my god I am in love with a cinnamon roll and I was just googling cinnamon roll cupcake recipes last week! You are like God you have answered my prayer! And I think I have all these items at my house!
I need that, please
xoxo
T from THE WORLD TOUR
A couple of lovers sailing around the world.
http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com
Mmm…you are bad, bad, bad, Kristan!!!
OMG, I loved ninja turtles when I was a kid, I am a bit scared to watch them now in case they are crap and i ruin my memories of them being awesome. My kids have the opposite problem with frosting, it is all they eat and then I find naked cupcakes stashed around the house, they are complete animals!! On the other hands my hubby complains I put too much frosting on my cupcakes (pfff, as if that's possible!)
These look delicious and I might have to whip up a batch this weekend :) YUM!
These seriously rock, Kristan! I brought back some cinnamon form Mexico and am now very tempted to bake a batch of your cupcakes. xox
Love these cinnamon roll cupcakes! Glad to have come here following a tweet. Off to browse your lovely space.
You're killing me over here! I NEED these in my life.
I'll take your son's portion of the icing:) These are perfect breakfast cupcakes!
Just made these tonight. Yummalicious. So good I blogged about them.
Mmm I love cinnamon rolls. And these totally could be a breakfast treat for me. :p Lol. I really enjoy hearing stories about your son, it makes me smile thinking about what my two will do to me in the next 5 years when they are your son's age. (:
Is it weird that I googled, "Stuf everree ninja needs" ??
Went directly to print and then into the kitchen to whip these up! They are cooling right now!! Thank You! Thank You!
Oh my! I have a bit of a cinnamon roll problem… I make them ALL the time. Perhaps these cupcakes are my first step to recovery… Cinnamon roll rehab, perhaps? I have to start somewhere :)
I feel like I have already commented on this one, so if I have, ignore….
But OMG Kristan! You've managed to combine two of my fave things into one. Yum!
Oh my gosh these cupcakes look amazing. I love your story about your son–I was laughing out loud. It sounds like the kind of conversation I would have with my superhero-obsessed son. :)
I can't wait to try these for my 5 year old. He'll think I'm awesome. Yesterday when I poured him a glass of milk, he gave me a quarter and told me I was a good mom. I wonder what I'll get if I make these!! lol Thanks for posting. I love your site.
AAAAHHH!! I just made these and they're super absolutely amazingly epic. I'm planning on making your boston cream pie twinkies for me best friend's birthday :)
I just recently discovered this blog via cupcakestakethecake and this blog totally rocks ^-^b
I'll definitely be a regular stalker, erm… follower from now on \(^-^)/
These have to be made in my kitchen VERY soon. They look too delicious to miss out on.
I have made these and they are delish, nobody knew they were from a box…hmmm thinking about making some now…yum, they were that good…..
[...] pondering this idea for awhile when the amazing Kristan at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen posted a Cinnamon Roll Cupcake recipe on her blog. And after that, I was hellbent (dreams and all, people) on making [...]
I have made these cupcakes several times and have gotten rave reviews!! So moist and the frosting is to die for!! Looking forward to making more of your delicious desserts!
I am so glad you love them!! Thanks :)
I made this recipe twice and everyone who tried it said it was the best cupcake they had ever had. It’s easily better than anything I bought at the cupcake store near my house.
[...] Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes From Confessions Of A Cookbook Queen [...]
When you say to swirl the Cinnamon through the batter, do you mean through the intire cupcake batter of the cupcake, or just the top part?? Like the top half??
A
Hey, I just made these and the batter was delish(: they’re in the oven now, but was wondering if yours rose up like cupcakes normally do?!
I just got finished making the frosting for this recipe, but it came out a little grainy from the sugar and it is not very thick. Any suggestions on what I may have done wrong and can fix the next time I attempt to make them again?
[...] used Confessions of a Cookbook Queen‘s post about Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes for inspiration and took it from there. Simple yellow [...]
My son dosent like frosting either…WHAT! Pure craziness! By the way you ROCK!
Wow…I just knew when I saw this that it had to be from you!! These look amazing! I think I might just have to make these today. Must pin and share!
i was just searching for a cinnamon roll cake and then you popped up with these. now I want cupcakes with icing 3 feet high because you can’t have cinnamon buns without cream cheese frosting. it would be wrong, very, very wrong.
I made these for family and friends and they loved them! My mom never wants me to make plain vanilla cupcakes again. I omitted the glaze and just frosted them with canned frosting to save time. I’m sure if I did homemade they would have been even better. Great way to spruce up boxed mix!
Hold the phone. I am confused about how your son can even know the ways of being a ninja without understanding the importance of its forefathers, Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo and Rafael? Without Splinter, where would the Ninja movement even Be? Seriously – They ARE the world’s most fearsome fighting teens.
Incidentally, I can STILL sing the pizza hut song that preceeded the orginal TMNT movie on VHS circa 1980-something.
Also, thank you for this recipe. I have a themed party to go to and my item needed to be based off a cinnamon bun. I didn’t want to make a tradtional roll, so this is perfect.
Also, thank you for brining back Sike.
Could I put the glaze on the cupcakes first – let that cool/set in the fridge and then pipe the frosting? Hoping to make these for a brunch baby shower – and my son’s birthday brunch!! They sound amazing!