Ben and Jerry's Cinnamon Buns Cupcakes

Cupcakes are my best friend. They give you all that cake can give you and you avoid what I like to call the Matilda scenario where a craving hits and you dive in headfirst with no shame, inhaling more cake than should be humanly possible. 

Cupcakes are so unassuming. Cute. Perfectly portioned. 

Unless you eat like five. Then it defeats the entire purpose. Dang it. 

Two of my favorite food bloggers, Shelly from Cookies and Cups and Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, are hosting a Creative Recipe Contest in which you are supposed to take one of their recipes and add your own spin on it. 

The other day I came across Shelly's Banana's Foster Cupcakes and thought them to be the perfect template. 

Shelly and Kristan occasionally host a Ben and Jerry's Week in which they spend the week concocting recipes that incorporate the flavors of various Ben and Jerry's ice creams. I decided to throw some Ben and Jerry's action into the mix as well and make some Cinnamon Buns Cupcakes. 


I used Shelly's brown sugar cupcake recipe from her Banana's Foster Cupcakes, swirled some of her delicious Cinnamon Buttercream on top, and finished each cupcake off with some drizzled caramel and a piece of cinnamon roll. I made my caramel from scratch (it's super easy and quick), but you are more than welcome to use jarred caramel and it will still taste amazing. I used refrigerated cinnamon rolls from a tube for the cinnamon roll garnish. You can make them from scratch, but since they are just a garnish I went the easy route. I ain't gots that kind of time, people. Nap time is not that long.

Cinnamon Buns Cupcakes

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Cupcakes

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature

   1/2 cup brown sugar 

   1 tsp cinnamon

   1 lb powdered sugar (4-5 cups)

   1/2 tsp vanilla

    3-4 Tbsp milk or cream

Garnish

Caramel

Baked cinnamon rolls

    Directions

    Cupcakes

    1.    Preheat oven to 350°

    2.    Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.

    3.    Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

    4.    Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.

    5.    Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

    6.    Measure out milk and vanilla together.

    7.    Add about a third of the dry mixture and half milk mixture in alternating portions beginning and ending with dry mixture until incorporated and smooth.

    8.    Bake 15-20 minutes until cupcake springs back when pushed or toothpick comes out clean.

    9.    Let cool before frosting cupcakes.

Frosting and Garnish

1.    In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and brown sugar together for 2 minutes. Turn mixer to low and add in cinnamon and powdered sugar.

    2.    Finally add in milk and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

    3.    Fill a pastry bag with frosting and pipe onto cupcakes.

    4.    Drizzle caramel onto each frosted cupcake.

    5.    Cut baked cinnamon rolls into pieces and top each cupcake.

     Adapted from Shelly’s Banana’s Foster Cupcakes

     

(I am entering these Ben and Jerry's Cinnamon Buns Cupcakes in the Creative Recipe Contest hosted by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and Cookies and Cups)

You’ve got to try these cupcakes. They have Ben and Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns goodness in every bite! If you’re like me, you’ll probably eat too many and it'll end up being just as bad as if you'd made a whole cake and stuck your face in it. But cupcakes are still cuter. So there’s that.