Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
We all (regrettably) took Fireball shots at some point in our shameful 20’s right? Well let’s take that dreadful hangover and turn it into a fond experience. I’m talking cupcakes! Warm, spicy cinnamon whiskey cupcakes with a deliciously creamy cream cheese icing. Sweet and pleasant, moist and creamy, everything you could want in a dessert, but without the morning of regret!
One year ago today, I married my very best friend in a beautiful waterfront ceremony on Anna Maria Island, FL. The day was magical, the weather was perfect, and we were surrounded by family and friends. But the one thing that I think stuck out the most to people was the food!! And while it is hard to top sou vide beef tenderloin and THREE types of Mac and cheese, I think our wedding cake(s) stole the show. Not only did the display cake look like everything I had dreamed about as a little girl, but the amazing Kristen Marie Cakes gave our guests 3 options of flavor to choose from: red velvet, white chocolate raspberry, and of course, cinnamon whiskey. But because we had a nightmare of a wedding planner who didn’t save the top their for us (crying emoji), for our 1-year anniversary, I made it a point to recreate Kristen’s amazing cake the best I could!
Cinnamon Whiskey Cupcakes
I am not going to lie, since I am not a huge baker, I will find a recipe and stick to it, then adapt it as needed to create other flavor profiles. No point in reinventing the wheel right? So the base for a lot of my cupcakes and cakes is the same batter, or at least the same ratio of ingredients. The batter for this cake is actually very similar to my Black Forrest Cake batter, subbing out the chocolate of course for cinnamon whiskey flavorings, and only making half a batch. As always, we will mix the dry ingredients first, and then the wet.
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/3 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Now, in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or other large bowl, whisk together:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/8 (2 tbsp) cup heavy cream can sub milk or half and half
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
Whiskey Reduction
Slowly and carefully, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients about 1/3 at a time. Be careful not to over-mix. The batter may look a little thick for a cake, but do not fear, we have one last ingredient, whiskey! Before or while you are prepping the batter, add 1 cup of good whiskey, 1 cinnamon stick, and 3-4 cloves to a small sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer until it has reduced by half.
Add the whiskey directly into the batter, no need to cool it down completely. Carefully mix in the whiskey being sure not to splash yourself. At this point the batter should be thinner. Don’t worry if the whiskey smells SUPER strong, it will not overpower the batter at all. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and scoop in about 1/3 cup of batter into each. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes, or until a fork or toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
For spiced cakes and cupcakes especially, I like to go with a simple frosting that compliments the flavors. So for this, a simple cream cheese icing will work perfectly. The sour notes of the cream cheese are the perfect counter balance to the spices and whiskey. To being, add 1 8oz brick of cream cheese, 1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup), 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. On medium high speed, beat together the ingredients until they are light and fluffy.
Once they are light and airy, 1 cup at a time, slowly add in 4 total cups of powdered sugar. Once most of the sugar is incorporated, turn the speed up on high and continue to beat until the frosting is once again fluffy. Scoop the frosting into a piping bag with the tip of your choice and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate with the sprinkles of your choice, or none at all, and enjoy! For me, this recipe brings back memories of the best day of my life, but also, cinnamon whiskey cupcakes are just down right delicious!
Want more dessert recipes?
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Marshmallow Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Mocha Brownies
- Cinnamon Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
- Grinch Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Raspberry Lemonade Blondies
Cinnamon Whiskey Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cinnamon Whiskey Cupcakes
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅛ cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup cinnamon whiskey *see instructions
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- decorative sprinkles optional
Instructions
Cinnamon Whiskey Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- In a small saucepan, warm up whiskey, cinnamon stick, and cloves just below a strong simmer and allow it to reduce by half. Set aside
- In a large bowl, combine both sugars, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- In a large stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine together eggs, sour cream, oil, heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- On a low speed, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet, about 1/3 at a time. Once combined, pour in the reduced whiskey and slowly continue to mix to incorporate. Be careful not to overmix
- Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and school about 1/3 cup of the batter into each liner. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick or fork comes out the center of a cupcake clean.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy.
- 1 cup at a time, add in powdered sugar until completely incorporated.
- Add frosting to a piping bag with the desired decorating tip. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles, optional.
