Vanilla Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These vanilla spice cupcakes are a simple small batch, one-bowl cupcake recipe made with brown sugar. Top them with tangy cream cheese frosting and some sprinkles for a fun treat!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature 60 g
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 100 g
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup canola oil 60 mL
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour 120 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup water
Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter 113 g
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature 67 g
- 1 cup icing sugar 120 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Vanilla Spice Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
- Add the egg and mix again for a few minutes.
- Add in the oil and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Next, sift in the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners (about 7-9).
- Bake at 350ºF for 12-15 minutes. Cupcakes are done when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in cupcake tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat room temperature butter with softened cream cheese until fluffy – about 5-7 minutes.
- Add in 1/3 cup icing sugar at a time and mix until incorporated.
- Repeat process, until all icing sugar has been used up.
- Beat until incorporated and frosting is light and fluffy.
- If frosting is too soft, add in more icing sugar (2 tbsp at a time), if too frosting is too stiff, add a little cream (1 teaspoon at a time)
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag, fitted with a tip like the Wilton 2D tip.
Assemble & Decorate
- Swirl frosting onto cupcakes as desired.
- Sprinkle with sprinkles if using