Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Cupcake

Cinnamon sugar cupcake filled with cinnamon and sugar and topped with cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon is my favorite spice, and I love using it in baked goods. One of my favorite desserts is cinnamon rolls. However, they can be time-consuming to make. Therefore, I was inspired to create these cinnamon sugar cupcakes. 

The cinnamon sugar cupcake consists of three main parts. The first being the cupcake, of course. The second is the filling, and the third is the cream cheese frosting. 

Cinnamon Sugar Cupcake Ingredients 

The Cupcake

To make the cupcake, the following ingredients are needed: 

• White rice and Brown Rice Flour: White rice flour will be used as our main gluten-free flour. White rice flour is neutral in taste, and so it won’t overpower the taste of cinnamon in our cinnamon sugar cupcake. Meanwhile, brown rice flour will be added to provide color and a slightly nutty flavor to the cupcakes. 
• Tapioca and Potato Starch: We will be using both Tapioca and potato starch to create a light and moist texture. 
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Both the baking soda and baking powder will make the cupcakes rise. You will notice that these cinnamon sugar cupcakes are not flat. We want the cinnamon sugar cupcake to rise and have a nice dome. 
• Ground Cinnamon and Clove: Cinnamon and clove work great together. Both spices will be added to the batter to provide a cinnamony flavor.  
• Salt 
• Unsalted butter: make sure that the butter is at room temperature. 
• Buttermilk: will help the cinnamon sugar cupcake rise. Buttermilk also provides moisture to the cupcake. 
• Granulated White Sugar and Brown Sugar: This cinnamon sugar cupcake recipe calls for white and brown sugar. The brown sugar makes the cupcakes soft and, at the same time, provides them with an irresistible flavor. 
• Eggs 
• Vanilla Extract

Cinnamon Sugar Filling 

The cinnamon sugar filling used in these cupcakes is similar to the filling used in cinnamon rolls. All you need is white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon powder. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

I love having cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. To make the cream cheese frosting, you will need the following: 

• Cream cheese…
• Unsalted Butter 
• Powder Sugar / Icing sugar: I tried this recipe with granulated white sugar, and I loved the crunch it gives the frosting and the cupcakes. 
• Vanilla Extract and Salt: To provide the frosting with flavor 

Making the Cupcakes

The Cupcake 

The batter of the cinnamon sugar cupcake is easy to make. First, we need to combine all the dry ingredients together.

Then in a standalone mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the butter until creamy.

Then add in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

Then add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. 

Afterward, we will start by adding ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by half the amount of buttermilk. Then add in half the amount of dry ingredients left in the bowl, followed by the remaining amount of buttermilk. Once the ingredients are combined, add in the remaining dry ingredients. 

Note: Adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk in intervals provides sufficient time for the sugar, butter, and eggs to absorb the dry ingredients. This also prevents the cupcake batter from curdling. 

The Filling 

In a small bowl, mix the white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon powder together. 

The Frosting 

In the bowl of your standalone mixer or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract together until all the ingredients are combined. 

Building the Cinnamon Sugar Cupcake

Preheat the oven to 180℃ 

I highly recommend pouring your cinnamon sugar cupcake batter in a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle to make these cupcakes. 

Then in a cupcake pan aligned with cupcake liners, make a swirl as seen below using your cupcake batter. 

Then sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar filling on top of the swirl. 

Next, apply a second swirl layer of cupcake batter. 

Pour ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar filling on top of the second layer. 

Now your cinnamon sugar cupcakes are ready to go into the oven. Bake the cupcakes for 11-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. 

Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack before decorating them with frosting. 

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5 from 21 votes

Cinnamon Sugar Cupcake Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Cupcake recipe made with white rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch and brown rice flour.

Prep Time45 mins

Active Time9 mins

Total Time54 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon sugar cupcakes, gluten free cinnamon cupcakes

Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Calories: 197kcal

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

Cupcake

• ▢ 105 grams of White Rice Flour
• ▢ 42 grams of Tapioca Flour
• ▢ 21 grams of Potato Starch
• ▢ 42 grams of Brown Rice Flour
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon of Xanthan Gum
• ▢ 1 ¾ teaspoon of Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon of Ground Clove
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon of Baking Soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Salt
• ▢ 110 grams of Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
• ▢ 67 grams of Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 18 grams of Brown Sugar
• ▢ 2 Large Eggs at Room Temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 160 ml of Buttermilk at Room Temperature

Filling

• ▢ 18 grams of Brown Sugar
• ▢ 33 grams of Granulated Sugar
• ▢ ½ tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon

Frosting

• ▢ 113 grams of Cream Cheese at Room Temperature
• ▢ 30 grams of Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
• ▢ 120 grams of Powdered Sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon of Salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180℃ (350 °F)

Cupcake

• In a bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground clove, baking soda, and salt.
  
• In a separate bowl, using a stand-alone mixer or a hand-held mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy.
  
• Next, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (4 minutes).
  
• Afterward, add the eggs one at a time, making sure that the eggs are incorporate each time before adding the next egg.
• Then, add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
• Lower the stand-alone mixer's speed and add one-third of the dry ingredients mixture and half the amount of buttermilk and beat until combined.
• Next, add half the amount of the remaining dry ingredients mixture followed by the remaining buttermilk. Beat until combined ( 1 minute)
• Then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until combined (1 minute). Make sure to not overbeat the cinnamon sugar cupcake batter.
• Pour your cupcake batter into a piping bag attached with a round nozzle.
  

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon powder.

Layering the Cupcake

• Align your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
• Next, using your piping bag, make a swirl at the bottom of the cupcake liner.
  
• Then pour ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar filling at the center of the swirl.
  
• Next, create another swirl using your piping bag on top of the cinnamon sugar filling.
  
• Afterward, add another ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar filling at the center of the swirl.
  
• Bake the cupcakes at 180℃ (350°F) for 11-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cupcakes comes out clean

Cream cheese frosting

• In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt using a stand-alone mixer or a hand-held mixer until all the ingredients are combined ( 4 minutes).
• The cream cheese frosting will be similar to the cream cheese frosting consistency of cinnamon rolls. Hence, you can use it to design the cupcakes similar to what I did in the photos above. Or you can simply dip the dome of the cupcakes into the frosting.

Notes

• If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice to 250 ml of Full-Fat Milk. 
• You can substitute granulated sugar with caster sugar. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cupcake | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g