Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

I think that I may have found the holy grail of cupcakes in the form of this Snickerdoodle cupcake recipe. Are you ready for this?? These babies taste exactly like snickerdoodle cookies in cupcake form, with an amazing cinnamon flavor in both the cake and frosting. I was in the mood for something different from the usual chocolate and funfetti flavor standbys, and these really hit the spot. The cinnamon buttercream that goes on top is the perfect accompaniment. 

I also tried my hand at "piping" frosting for the very first time! Usually I just slap some frosting on my cupcakes with a butter knife, but these look so much prettier. I just scooped the frosting into a small ziplock bag, cut a tiny hole in one corner, and piped it out in a swirly pattern as shown below. 

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/2 c	flour
1 1/2 c	cake flour, sifted (I used regular flour)
1 Tbsp	baking powder
1/2 tsp	salt
2 tsp	ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp	ground cinnamon for dusting
2 stk	butter, unsalted, softened
1 3/4 c	sugar
2 Tbsp	sugar for dusting
4 lg	eggs, room temperature
2 tsp	vanilla extract
1 1/4 c	Milk
Frosting:
1 c	butter, room temperature
3 3/4 c	powdered sugar, sifted
3 to 4 Tbsp	milk
2 tsp	vanilla extract
1 tsp	cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep 2 - 12-cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

Sift together in a large bowl, flours, baking powder, salt and 2 tsp. cinnamon.

Cream together butter and sugar till pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, blend after each egg added, then add the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture in 3 increments, alternate with 2 additions of the milk. Blend well, do not over mix. Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake tins, fill 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotate the cupcake pan halfway through the baking process. Do a toothpick test and if it comes out clean, it's done.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven onto a wire rack, let cool for 20 minutes before removing cupcakes from the pan. With the remaining cinnamon and sugar, mix together and sprinkle over the tops of the cupcakes.

Frosting:

With mixer on low speed, blend butter till fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk and vanilla extract, blend lightly. Add cinnamon and continue mixing until sugar is well incorporated. Increase speed and beat till fluffy, if the frosting is stiff, add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of milk. Blend well. Be sure that the cupcakes are completely cooled. Then frost or pipe your cupcakes.