Churro Cupcakes

By vealam

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 stick of butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• Frosting:
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, soft
• 4 oz of cream cheese
• 3-5 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• For the mini "churros":
• 4 tablespoons of butter, cold
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Details

Servings 20
Adapted from thebakerchick.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and smooth. Mix in the eggs, one at a time.
Stir the vanilla into the milk.
With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Fill liners about 2/3 of the way. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick interred into one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. Always cool 100% before frosting.

To make the frosting:
Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Start with 3 cups and add more depending on how stiff you want it to be. Add food coloring if desired and frost cooled cupcakes.

Churros and Topping:
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
While the cupcakes are baking, combine the "mini churro" ingredients in a food processor for 1-2 minutes or until a ball is formed. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into strips, 1/2 inch wide and cut 2 inch-long pieces out on a diagonal angle. Twist the dough pieces and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
When they have cooled, gently toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until well-coated. return to the cookie sheet until ready to use.
When the baked cupcakes have cooled, dip the top of each one into the cinnamon/sugar mixture- giving each a light coating.
Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cupcakes and dust with cinnamon sugar. Top each cupcake with a "churro." Enjoy!