Cupcakes!

Since it's my birthday on Super Bowl Sunday, I thought I'd make myself a treat to bring to work tomorrow. How about cupcakes? This recipe is technically for cake, but easy to convert to cupcakes.

Snickerdoodle Cake

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 oz) plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350.
Generously grease 2 9-inch cake pans (or a muffin pan), then dust with flour – shake out the excess.
Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 min. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to minimum and beat for 2 minutes. Divide batter and fill pans. If using 2 pans, place them side by side.
Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed by your finger, 27-29 minutes (I do ~14-17 min for cupcakes).
Remove the pans from the oven and place on wire racks and let them cool for 10 minutes.
Run a dinner knife around the edge and invert onto a rack, then again so they are right side up.
Allow to cool completely.

Note: the mix is for a cake, but I put in cupcakes and bake for ~15min and check it earlier or later, depending on the oven.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese at room temp
8 tablespoons butter
3 3/4 confectioner’s powder, sifted (don’t skip the sifting – it is important)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter until well combined - ~30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the sugar, a little at a time, blending on low speed until it is well incorporated - ~1min.

Add the vanilla then increase the power to medium and blend until fluffy, ~1 more minute.