Pin It!

Coffee Cake Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details

These Coffee Cake Snickerdoodle Cupcakes are a vanilla cupcakes with a brown sugar streusel, covered with a layer of cinnamon sugar on top and finished off with a brown sugar cinnamon frosting.

side view of a snickerdoodle cupcake topped with brown sugar cinnamon frosting sitting in a cupcake liner


 

What a fun weekend I had! I am trying to soak up every last bite of October before it disappears in front of my very eyes. My friend from San Diego took the train up to visit us. She is a dear friend of mine who I met snowboarding, and since I moved, I really only get to see her in the winter.

We invited her to come up and spend a Saturday afternoon at the pumpkin patch; she has never been to a pumpkin patch before EVER! When we got there, it was like we were in Disney land! She was so super excited. Our favorite patch is owned by family friends of my boyfriend and they do such a good job. They have some animals on site, hay rides, a huge corn maze and pumpkins galore.

There were tons of family friends who gathered for some BBQ ribs and chicken. It’s really cool because the owners built a private hangout behind one of the farm stands with picnic tables, a fire pit and lot of space to hang out and BBQ. My friend had such a fantastic time and it was so great to be able to partake in her first pumpkin patch experience! You can check out my Instagram for more photos!

side view of a snickerdoodle cupcake
overhead of a frosted cupcake sitting in a cupcake liner

I made these Coffee Cake Snickerdoodle Cupcakes for our friends and they were such a HUGE hit! Although I feel like they always have the nicest things to say about my cupcakes, this one was a total crowd pleaser. I am not sure if it’s the soft, buttery streusel bottom, the rich vanilla cupcake or the whipped brown sugar cinnamon frosting.

snickerdoodle cupcake on a cupcake stand with a jar of milk in the background
unwrapped snickerdoodle cupcake with a bite taken out sitting on a cupcake stand

Regardless, one of these cupcakes is not enough. I even made them for my office earlier this week (I like to call them my largest group of taste tasters) and this cupcake got such rave reviews- some people even helped themselves to seconds! There you have it folks, apparently this is my best cupcake to date!

Print
closeup of a frosted snickerdoodle cupcake sitting in a cupcake liner

Coffee Cake Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the streusel

  • 1/2 C Light brown sugar
  • 1/2 C All-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp Cinnamon
  • 6 tbsp Unsalted butter – melted

For the cupcakes

  • 1 pk Vanilla cake mix
  • 1 pk (3.4 oz) Instant vanilla pudding
  • 3 Large eggs
  • 3/4 C Milk
  • 1/2 C Oil
  • 3/4 C Light sour cream
  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract

For the topping

  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp Unsalted butter – melted

For the frosting

  • 1 1/2 C (3 stickers) Unsalted butter – at room temperature
  • 1/4 C Light brown sugar
  • 3 C Powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp Heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the streusel

  1. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, melt butter. Pour melted butter over dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or fork to blend butter into dry ingredients to create a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

For the cupcake

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F
  2. Combine vanilla cupcake mix with vanilla pudding. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added to ensure it is well mixed.
  3. Add milk, oil, sour cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until all ingredients are well combined. Use a spatula to scrap down the side of the bowl and turn the batter over from the bottom.
  4. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Pour 1 heaping teaspoon of streusel in the bottom of each liner. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of cupcake batter into each liner on top of streusel. Each liner will be about ¾ full.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes until cupcake are done. You do not want to top to turn brown. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cupcakes are done. Allow to cool completely.

For the topping

  1. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or paper plate.
  2. Melt butter in the microwave. Brush each cupcake with a thin layer of butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mix.

For the frosting

  1. Allow butter to come to room temperature so it is soft but not melted. Beat butter in mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
  2. Add brown sugar and mix until combined.
  3. Slowly add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time while continuing to beat on medium speed. Add cinnamon and mix into frosting.
  4. Add vanilla and heavy whipping cream last and increase mixer speed to high to whip frosting until smooth and creamy.
  5. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Notes

Frosting will be very light and airy, for a thicker frosting, you can add additional powdered sugar or reduce to only 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.

  • Category: Cupcakes
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
5 BAKE FROM SCRATCH SECRETS!
Subscribe to my newsletter and get my fav tips to take your cakes & cupcakes to the next level.