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Coffee Cake Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

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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!

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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

Leave a Comment

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46 Responses
  1. Harriet Deeds

    In the process of making these…the Struesel is Not crunchy…seems like 6T. butter too much…it is just thick goo!!! 😵😵

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Sounds correct to me, I made these recently and mine was the same, but it get crunchy when it’s baked!

  2. Kim

    I wanted to make these but bought regular sour cream instead of light. I’ve tried searching to see if it would make a difference, but can’t. Think it’ll be okay? Thanks!

  3. Chloe

    Made these last night and they came out great. I did add pieces of candies pecan to the crumble and I had to bake 5 minutes longer, which is unusual for my oven. I wish the icing wasn’t so sweet, but then again, it is icing, I know.






  4. Lisa

    Made this recipe and shared it with friends. It tastes so good and I would add a few more sugar to make it even more enjoyable taste.






  5. Barbara Nelson

    Hi….these look wonderful and I am going to make them. Just wondering what size scoop you use to fill the liners. Thanks

  6. Linda @ Today She Loves

    Wow, yum! My boyfriend loves snickerdoodles AND coffee cake. I didn’t even know putting two together would create this masterpiece.

  7. Carrie @ Frugal Foodie Mama

    These look so amazing! 🙂 I swear, you are the queen of cupcakes! BTW, that cupcake stand?? Super cute! Where did you find it??
    And thank you for sharing at Marvelous Mondays this week! Pinned!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Thanks Carrie! It’s the Martha Stewart collection at Macys! I got a few of them they are just too cute!

  8. Jelli

    These sound wonderful. I love coffee cake and the fluffy brown sugar frosting seems perfect. Who doesn’t love fluff on top of their cuppies, right? Visiting from Marvelous Mon. party & pinning your cupcake goodness. Have a fab week!

  9. Meghan @ The Tasty Fork

    This is a special cupcake for sure!! Thanks for linking up to Wake Up Wednesdays! I’ll be sharing this tonight on FB 🙂 Recipe is pinned!

  10. Amy | Club Narwhal

    Oh man, I can see why these bad boys were such a hit! Having friends in town is my favorite. And I wouldn’t mind snagging any leftovers of these cupcakes 🙂

  11. Jamie@Milk 'n' Cookies

    What beautiful cupcakes! I loved that you added a layer of streusel at the bottom of these cupcakes. And the cinnamon frosting looks absolutely divine! I love an airy frosting — it makes me feel a LITTLE less guilty about indulging : )

  12. Patty Z

    These were the best!!! I am still dreaming about them! Great to see you both this past weekend. And fun to watch your friends first pumpkin patch experience!

  13. Beth @ bethcakes

    I was on board with these cupcakes, and then you said streusel on the bottom!! These look incredible!

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