Churro Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Churro Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting are the perfect after-dinner dessert to go with a cup of coffee. The cupcake is light and fluffy, while the frosting is smooth, indulgent, and ultra-creamy, spiked with a little bit of cinnamon.

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A Sweet Little Twist on Classic Churros

I first came up with these cupcakes on a weekend when we were having some family over for a late lunch, and I thought that a combination of churros and cupcakes would make the perfect treat. I would only have needed to make one batch, but then Jorge asked me to double the recipe so he could bring some in to work on Monday. All of this is leading up to telling you that on that Sunday, I had 36 cupcakes staring me in the face. It was horrible, it was glorious, and it was the best Sunday I’d had in a long time.

Why? Because these cupcakes were completely delicious! The cake was the perfect base for the cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top. They were perfectly light, while still staying moist. I added oil, alongside the butter, to get this consistency. Since the frosting was going to be on the rich side, the cupcake itself could not be too heavy…but I also did not want too light (or dry) of a cupcake. These were perfect with a cup of coffee or standing over the sink. I am sure they will be showing up again soon!

What Does a Churro Taste Like?

You might be wondering what is special about a churro cupcake – what is a churro, anyway, and what do they taste like? Well, churros are traditional Spanish and South American snacks, flavored mostly with cinnamon. The base is fried dough, making these crispy-chewy-soft little snacks similar to a cinnamon doughnut, but less bready. They’re often served with caramel sauce, which is completely off-the-charts delicious, of course.

I wanted to re-create that feeling of lightness, almost like choux pastry, with a great cinnamon flavor and the same richness you get from the caramel. All of this, in cupcake form. What could be better? And frosting-wise, cream cheese just seemed like the yummiest option! (Want more churro goodness? Check ou these Churro Pancakes, Churro Twists, and classic Churros with Salted Caramel Sauce! For a little hint of fall, you need these addictive Pumpkin Churros.)

The Ingredients You’ll Need

The proportions for these cupcakes are similar to most cupcake recipes: one part butter, two parts sugar, three parts flour. In place of the traditional four eggs, we’re going with just two eggs, plus some vegetable oil and milk for extra moisture and lightness. Here’s the full list:

For the Cupcakes

• Flour: I use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Cinnamon: You can tweak the amount to suit your taste, but 1 1/2 teaspoons worked really well!
• Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda.
• Salt
• Butter: I always use unsalted butter for baking, but you could substitute salted butter (and dial back the salt in the recipe slightly, if needed). Either way, make sure your butter is softened to room temperature before you start.
• Sugar: You can use plain sugar, or substitute raw sugar if you prefer.
• Eggs: Large, whole eggs at room temperature.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor.
• Oil: You’ll want vegetable oil, or another neutral-flavored oil of your choice.
• Milk: I used whole milk for flavor and richness.

For the Frosting

• Cream Cheese: Again, this should be at room temperature so you can beat it up into a fluffy frosting.
• Butter: Unsalted butter, at room temperature as well.
• Powdered Sugar: This finely-ground sugar is powdery and perfect for making frosting.
• Vanilla Extract
• Cinnamon: Don’t skip the cinnamon for that perfect churro flavor!

The Tools You’ll Need

• Standard Sized Cupcake Pan
• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer: To make perfect fluffy cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
• Piping Bags and Tips: In a pinch, you can also a ziplock bag with the tip cut off. It’s not as pretty, but it will get the job done!

Let’s Bake Some Cupcakes!

The steps for baking cupcakes are fairly simple – it’s mostly a mix-and-bake recipe. Keep in mind that cupcakes tend to bake up faster than a regular cake or cake layers, so you’ll only need to keep them in the oven about 15 minutes.

Prep the Oven and Muffin Tin. To start, set your oven to preheat to 350°F. While it preheats, line your muffin pan with cupcake liners and set it aside while you make the batter.

Combine the Dry Ingredients. Next, dump the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Give the ingredients a quick whisk to combine, and set them aside, too.

Combine the Wet Ingredients, Except Milk. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer to do this. Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, one at a time, until just combined. Finally, beat in the vanilla and the oil.

Add the Dry Ingredients and Milk in Stages. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the wet ingredients, and gently stir the batter by hand until barely combined. Add half of the milk, and stir again until just combined. Repeat these steps with the remaining flour mixture and milk, ending with the flour. Be careful not to overmix the batter, or the cupcakes won’t be tender and light!

Bake. Fill each cupcake liner with about 2 tablespoons of batter (filled halfway up). Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with one or two crumbs clinging to it. Take the cupcakes out of the oven, and set them aside to cool completely before you frost them.

Make the Frosting. While the cupcakes cool, you can make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Cream the butter and cream cheese together in a large, clean bowl, using clean, dry beaters. Add the sugar a cup at a time, beating well between each cup. Stir in the cinnamon, and then stir in the vanilla. Beat the frosting again until it’s light and fluffy.

Decorate. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. You can also decorate with cinnamon sugar, dulce de leche, etc.

Tips for the Best Churro Cupcakes

• Don’t Overmix: While it might be tempting to just dump the ingredients in the bowl, mix them up, and get it overwith… that will not deliver a light, moist, and cupcake-y experience (unfortunately). Following the order of combining dry and wet ingredients carefully is the best way to achieve the perfect cupcake texture. Whatever you do, don’t overbeat the ingredients when you combine the dry and wet, or the flour will begin to develop gluten and the cupcakes will turn tough and bready.
• Cool Thoroughly: There’s nothing quite as disappointing as piping a beautiful topping of homemade frosting onto your cupcake, and watching it melt right off! The problem is that homemade frostings (and many store-bought frostings, too) are delicate, and it only takes a slight amount of heat to melt them. So be sure your cupcakes are truly cooled down, without any remaining heat in them, before you frost.
• Frosting Substitutes: If you’d like to save a little time, you can definitely substitute store-bought cream cheese frosting, or buttercream, and just mix in a bit of cinnamon. It won’t be as good, but still tasty! You just can’t beat that homemade cream cheese frosting!
• Topping Ideas: I love topping these cupcakes with caramel sauce or dulce de leche! You can buy either of these at the grocery store, but for a truly special treat, try making your own! The sauce from this Salted Caramel Banana Bread recipe would work beautifully, and it’s super easy to make.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

• Fridge: Store your frosted cupcakes in a deep, airtight container with a lid, in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for about four days before they start to go stale.
• Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes, in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. Let thaw to room temperature and then ice fresh before serving.

4.7 from 24 votes

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Yield: 18 cupcakes

Churro Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Churro Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting are the perfect after-dinner dessert to go with a cup of coffee. The cupcake is light and fluffy, while the frosting is smooth, indulgent, and ultra-creamy, spiked with a little bit of cinnamon.

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time14 minutes minutes

Additional Time15 minutes minutes

Total Time49 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup milk

For the frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Optional Garnishes:

• Cinnamon Sugar
• Caramel Sauce
• Dulce De Leche

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Instructions 

To make the cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined then stir in the vanilla and oil.
• Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the butter mixture and gently stir in until barely combined. Add half of the milk, mixing until just combined. Repeat these steps with the remaining flour mixture and milk, ending with the flour. Do not over mix.
• Fill each cupcake tin with 2 tablespoons of batter, or until the cupcake tin is filled half way. Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with one or two crumbs clinging to it. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

• Cream the butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Stir in the cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Then stir in the vanilla. Beat the mixture well, until light and fluffy.
• Pipe onto cupcakes, sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar and top with a drizzle of caramel sauce or dulce de leche, if desired.

Notes

Recipe Note: When it says to only fill your cupcake tins half way, I mean it. These cupcakes do not make a dome on top. Instead they are flat. If they rise over the tin, they are not pretty!

Storage:

• Fridge: Store your frosted cupcakes in a deep, airtight container with a lid, in the refrigerator. They'll keep for about four days before they start to go stale.
• Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes, in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. Let thaw to room temperature and then ice fresh before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 132mg, Sugar: 23g

© Jessica- The Novice Chef

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex

Category: Cupcakes

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