Snickerdoodle cupcakes are a modification of the popular cinnamon sugar cookie recipe, made with cake mix, flour, baking powder, and a sweet frosting. The name is attributed to German and English colonial Americans, and the recipe dates back to Roman times. The cupcakes take about 20 minutes to bake and can be topped with cinnamon sugar or frosting made from egg whites, corn syrup, and sugar.
Although the name snickerdoodle is often applied to a simple yet delicious cinnamon sugar cookie, the recipe can be modified to create cupcakes with the same flavor profile. The cookie is made with just flour, eggs, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and maybe a little nutmeg, nuts, or dried fruit. A cupcake version is a few steps further: a cake mix and all-purpose flour, but also some baking powder and a pinch of salt. In place of the cookie’s plain sugar-cinnamon coating, the cupcakes get a hypersweet frosting made from ingredients like egg whites, water, corn syrup, sugar, and maybe cream cheese.
Some attribute the name snickerdoodle to German and English colonial Americans, shortly after the Revolutionary War. That’s not to say that this basic recipe hasn’t been used for several millennia, dating back to Roman times. With other ingredients like raisins, currants or walnuts, these cookies were more widely known as “jumbles” until the name snickerdoodle started appearing in cookbooks in the late 20th century. Its basic ingredients were flour, sugar, butter, eggs and cinnamon, often with baking powder or soda, as well as complementary ingredients such as currants, vanilla extract or even cream of tartar.
Somewhere along the line, enterprising bakers started turning these cookies into snickerdoodle cupcakes. As with most desserts, measurements are important. While the recipes vary widely, a fairly simple example is provided by chef Martha Stewart’s website, sifting together 1.5 cups each (about 200 g) of all-purpose flour and cake, 1 tbsp. each (about 12 g) of cinnamon and baking powder and 0.5 tsp. (about 2.5 g) of salt. Then, a mixer is used to mix 1 cup (about 30 g) of soft, unsalted butter, 1.75 cups (about 350 g) of sugar, 2 tsp. (about 10 ml) of vanilla extract and four eggs. After the mixture is airy, the flour is slowly added to the mixer, along with 1.25 cups (about 300 mL) of milk. Each ingredient is slowly incorporated into the batter, which is poured into greased muffin tins when fully mixed.
Snickerdoodle cupcakes take about 20 minutes to rise and brown at 350°F (about 177°C). Just before baking, some will add cinnamon sugar to the top of Snickerdoodle cupcakes, as with their cookie cousins. Others will whip out a frosting to apply once the cupcakes have cooled.
The icing used to coat the Snickerdoodle cupcakes depends on the cook and their experience. A basic cupcake frosting involves dissolving sugar and corn syrup in water over medium heat, then whisking it in several egg whites until they stick firmly to the bowl. The syrup and whites are then mixed vigorously and layered over the cooled cupcakes.
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