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Tiana’s Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Celebrate Mardi Gras with a twist on the classic King Cake! These cinnamon swirl cupcakes are topped with cream cheese frosting and yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar!
Course Dessert
Keyword Cupcakes, King Cake, Mardi Gras, Princess and the Frog, Tiana
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar

  • 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tablespoons milk

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla

Decoration

  • yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar
  • Tiana cupcake toppers

Equipment

  • muffin pan
  • cupcake liners
  • piping bag
  • large star piping tip

Instructions

Cinnamon Sugar

  1. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the sugar. Set aside.

Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
  5. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
  6. Add the milk and then the remaining flour mixture. Beat until combined.
  7. Place a scoop of batter into each cup of the prepared cupcake pan. Sprinkle the batter with a layer of cinnamon sugar. Add another scoop of batter on top of the sugar. Add another layer of cinnamon sugar. Top with a final layer of batter.
  8. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Let cool in the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
  3. Stir in the vanilla.
  4. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

Assembly

  1. Pipe a swirl of cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake.
  2. To make the Mardi Gras design, sprinkle a yellow sanding sugar on one third of the frosting, purple sanding sugar on another third, and green on the remaining third.
  3. To make the Tiana design, sprinkle green sanding sugar on top of the frosting and add a Tiana cupcake topper to the center of the frosting.