Cinnamon Streusel Cupcakes

Cupcakes are really popular now, and no wonder, they are so convenient to serve and eat, easy to transport for picnics and get togethers and you can make them in about any flavor. These cupcakes are like a cinnamon streusel coffecake. I topped them with a little cream cheese frosting though they are really good with no frosting at all. Yum-Yum! The brown sugar and cinnamon streusel is layered in the center of the cupcake and sprinkled over the top. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (I doubled the cinnamon - adjust to your taste)
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions:

Leave butter and eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat butter with mixer for about 30 seconds. Gradually add white sugar a little at a time and then beat for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla.

Alternately add flour and milk to butter mixture, beating on low-speed after each addition until well combined.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar mix over the batter in the muffin cups. Spoon remaining batter over the brown sugar mix so that muffin cups are around 2/3 full. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mix on top. (I made 28 cupcakes but it will depend on the size of your muffin pans, so portion out accordingly)

Bake 18 - 20 minutes at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

These are delicious warm but they are hard to get out of the cupcake liners when still warm - they come out much easier after they have completely cooled. If you want to eat them warm I would suggest spraying the cupcake liners lightly with cooking spray before filling with batter.

Enjoy!