These Frosted Sugar Cookie Cupcakes have a sugar crusted sprinkle filled vanilla cupcake topped with Sugar Cookie buttercream frosting.
Each year around this time it seems like there is a flavor of the year.
Hershey’s Kisses have a holiday flavor.
M and M’s. Ghirardelli has a holiday flavored square.
Pop Tarts.
Etc….
Some years it’s been candy cane.
Gingerbread.
Eggnog.
This year I lucked out because the flavor was sugar cookie.
And I LOVE sugar cookies.
Like my last meal love.
So needless to say I was beyond thrilled that sugar cookie was the chosen flavor of the year.
Many recipes on this blog are sugar cookie themed.
Many.
But no cupcakes, which I was surprised I hadn’t done that yet.
Enter Frosted Sugar Cookie Cupcakes.
Which have a sugar coated sprinkle filled vanilla cupcake based.
They are topped with a Sugar Cookie flavored Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Topped with more sprinkles and a little sugar cookie for garnish.
If you cannot find the Ghirardelli White Chocolate Sugar Cookie Squares I suggest subing with Hershey’s sugar cookie kisses.
And if you can’t find either of those I would use white chocolate and some LorAnn Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion.
It won’t be an exact match but it will give a little more sugar cookie flavoring.
I only filled my cupcake half way but suggest you do 3/4 of the way.
I did half way because I was going for a certain look with the cupcake.
That look was a lot of frosting. 🙂
The frosting is a Swiss Meringue Buttercream so it’s not as sweet as American frosting.
Therefore pile it on. 🙂
As high as I can get it.
But that’s how I roll.
I realize not everyone is a buttercream fanatic like I am. 😀
You don’t have to make mini sugar cookies to decorate with.
Whenever I make sugar cookies I make sure to make mini ones just for things like this.
And my sugar cookie pie I made earlier this year.
The extras are always good to have around.
Sugar cookies freeze really well and so make a large batch and freeze some for later.
And while you don’t NEED the mini sugar cookies for the cupcakes to be cute….I really think the added detail makes the cupcakes extra special.
These cupcakes are also lined in sugar.
I do this to a lot of my baked goods.
It gives a crunchy sugary coating that give a nice texture contract.
That step is a little tedious since you have to move the pan around to get all the sugar in all the nooks and crannies.
You can skip that step though if it’s not your thing.
So bust out the sprinkles and make these for yourself or for the sugar cookie lover in your life.
By the way, it’s a great day to buy my cookbook !
Want More Sugar Cookie Ideas?
Festive Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Cheeseball
Sprinkle Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Bars
Frosted Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
Ingredients
- To Line the Cupcakes:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- For the Cupcakes:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp LorAnn Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup red and green sprinkles
- For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 1 cup (about 9) egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp LorAnn Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion
- 10 oz Ghirardelli White Chocolate Sugar Cookie Squares (I got mine at Target), melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
- To Line the Cupcakes:
- Brush all but two of the cups of two standard 12-cup muffin tins with melted butter.
- Spoon about 1 TBSP of sugar into greased cups and shake and tap around to cover the bottom and the sides of the cups completely with a thick coat of sugar. Tap out any excess sugar.
- For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- Combine the milk, Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion, and vanilla in a measuring bowl with a spout and set aside.
- Combine the sugar, oil, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until well combined and slightly thickened.
- Mix in the sour cream on medium speed until just combined.
- Add half the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low until halfway combined.
- Add half the milk and vanilla mixture and mix until just combined.
- Add the other half of the flour mixture, beat, then add the rest of the milk mixture, and beat until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Fold in the sprinkles.
- Fill 22 cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake for 19 to 21 minutes, or until a pick comes out almost clean and the center springs back slightly.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the metal bowl of a stand mixer and set over a small pot of simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water).
- Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is 160F or hot to the touch.
- Transfer bowl to stand mixer and beat on high speed with a whisk attachment to medium stiff peaks, about 8 minutes
- Reduce mixer speed to medium low and add butter a tablespoon at a time, letting it incorporate into the meringue for few moments before adding more. It will looks curdled and you will freak out. Don't worry it comes together when you continue to beat it.
- Add vanilla extract and salt and beat on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the melted Ghirardelli White Chocolate Sugar Cookie Squares and beat on high for another minute.
- Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Garnish with more sprinkles and mini sugar cookies
Cheryl Newton says
Thank you so much for what you do! Not only are your recipes crazy-inventive, but they’re unique. I follow a lot (read: way too many) recipe blogs and I’ve started to notice that sometimes I will see a very similar recipe (cornflake wreath cookies anyone?) in 5 or 6 blogs in the same week. Seriously, is there recipe blog ghost writing service out there? Anyway, keep being you. It’s much appreciated. (Even if you have gone vegetarian on us!)
Peabody says
Thanks. I know my blog is a little different than the average one. And that it’s not for everyone, but that’s okay.
Cheryl Newton says
Never apologize for that! And it definitely beats seeing 5 different recipes for insert-name-of-a-food-item-here in a single week.
Cheryl Newton says
Cheryl Newton again! Am still loving this recipe. However, it has confused me. 1st step is creating the sugar coating for 22 cupcakes, right in the muffin pan cavities. Then when the directions for the cupcakes start, it says to line 24 cavities with paper liners. Are there 22 cupcakes, or 24? Does the batter go right in the sugar-coated cavities, or in paper liners? Thanks!
Peabody says
It’s 22 for these. This was a combo of a different cupcake recipe that I made before and so it copy and pasted and I forgot to fix it. No liners for these. You want the sugar crust.
Cheryl Newton says
Sweet! Thanks!
Cheryl Newton says
Me again! (Feel free to block me; I’m starting to annoy myself.) (Also, yes, I’m way behind on my recipe-printing-out.) But, the mini sugar cookies: did you make them or buy them?
Cheryl Newton says
Nvm. I’m guessing you made them, based on the commentary before the recipe. Also, I’m guessing the recipe is on your blog. Yes, if I don’t find said recipe, I will be bugging you about it.
Peabody says
https://www.sweetrecipeas.com/2020/05/05/roll-out-shortbread-sugar-cookies/
Peabody says
In the blog post it talks about how I make mini ones whenever I make a batch of sugar cookies.