I love cinnamon and this cinnamon roll cupcake recipe is so easy to prepare. Cupcakes with liners offer a manageable sized treat that is a lot easier than eating this messy treat with a fork. These sweet cupcakes are versatile and can be served as a dessert, for brunch, for breakfast, or with tea.  This recipe makes 24 cinnamon roll cupcakes, but can be halved to make a dozen.

Special equipment you will need:

• A stand mixer, with a dough hook attachment
• A cupcake pan and cupcake liners
• A pastry brush

The Dough

• 2 cups milk
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• Cooking spray

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan.
2. Mix yeast and sugar in a stand mixer and pour in the milk, until the milk dissolves into the batter.
3. Add salt and 2 cups of milk into the mixture and beat for 2 minutes.
4. Add in the eggs and butter, and beat.
5. Stir in the rest of the flour, half a cup at a time, and mix well after each addition.
6. Using a dough hook, knead the mixture for five minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.
7. Apply cooking spray to a large deep bowl
8. Shape the dough into a ball shape and cover with a towel
9. Set this aside in a warm place, allowing it to rise for 40 minutes, until it has doubled in volume.

The Filling

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups finely chopped apples
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Preparing the filling

Combine the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and chopped apples in a bowl.

Making the cinnamon cupcakes

1. Melt the butter in a small dish and set this aside.
2. Sprinkle flour over your counter top to roll the dough out.
3. Roll the dough into a rectangle shape, ¼ inch thick.
4. Brush the dough with half the melted butter.
5. Cover the apple mixture, spreading it evenly over the dough, leaving an inch empty on all sides.
6. Line your cupcake pan with liners.
7. Roll the dough over itself to form a log, beginning with the long side of the rectangle.
8. Slice the log into 24 even pieces.
9. Remove the ends that don’t have any filling.
10. Place each slice into a cupcake liner and fold the ends together to make a C-shape.
11. Cover the cupcake pan with a towel, setting it aside in a warm place for another 40 minutes, to allow the dough to rise some more.
12. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
13. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining melted butter.
14. Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops are a golden color.

The Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

Glaze directions

1. Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl.
2. Begin by adding just one tablespoon of milk, mixing until the mixture is well combined
3. Add more milk as necessary, until the glaze is thick enough to easily run off the spoon.
4. Drizzle this over the warm cupcakes.
    

Storage

These cupcakes taste delicious fresh but can be kept in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave for 20 seconds for second servings.