Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Are you like me?  Can you have breakfast for any meal of the day?  Omelets for dinner.  Bagels for lunch.  Pancakes for a late night snack.  Breakfast, the best meal of the day.  Well, almost.  I don't really like eggs for breakfast.  Eggs - fried, scrambled or over-easy - are dinner fare.

I decided that this week, rather than making pancakes for dinner, I would make a true breakfast for dessert.  Cinnamon roll cupcakes!

A simple vanilla cake, with layers of cinnamon-brown sugar, topped with a layer of cream cheese frosting.  These little treats tasted just like the breakfast buns I can't keep my hands off.  Whenever I make a batch (or can if I'm in a hurry and have a big craving) of cinnamon rolls, I always have at least two.  I know they are about a million calories each, I can't help myself.

These cupcakes were just what I wanted and I was totally satisfied with just one.

One Year Ago: Cream of Asparagus Soup

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens - Cupcakes

These cupcakes really taste like the breakfast treat!  Even though I could stop myself at just one cupcake, I knew that I couldn't have them in the house.  I sent these to work with boyfriend and he fed them to his coworkers, for breakfast!  This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.  The cream cheese frosting actually made a large batch and I had a whole lot leftover.  Cut the recipe in half if you don't want to be eating it with a spoon for the rest of the week!

1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp milk

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.  Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bring butter and eggs to room temperature.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy.  Add sugar and beat until combined.  Add egg and vanilla.  Add flour in three portions, alternating with milk (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour).

Add 1 tbsp batter to the paper liners.  Add 1 tsp cinnamon mixture to the cups.  Add remaining batter to the muffin cups (about 2 tbsp each).  Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake cupcakes for 20-22 minutes  (or until a toothpick comes out with just crumbs clinging).  Let cool on a wire rack for ten minutes then remove from the baking pan.  Allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Allow cream cheese and butter to come to room temperature.  Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy.  Turn mixer down to low and add powdered sugar, a 1/2 cup at a time, until frosting is fluffy and spreadable.  Once all of the powdered sugar is added, turn mixer to high and beat until airy and combined.