CANELITA CUPCAKES
Horchata is a delicious and refreshing Mexican drink that is made with rice, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. It is a popular summertime drink, but it can also be enjoyed year-round. ‘Canela’ in Spanish means cinnamon and the ‘ita’ on the end means little or mini!
Canelita cupcakes are a delicious and unique twist on the classic cupcake. They are made with a horchata-flavored batter, which gives them a sweet and nutty flavor and are full of bursts of cinnamon spice too. Canelita cupcakes are perfect for the holiday season or any special occasion.
I love to make horchata cupcakes for my family and friends. They always enjoy the unique flavor and texture of these cupcakes. This year, I will be gifting these cupcakes to my son’s preschool class for Halloween and turning them into spooky mini ghost cupcakes.
Canelita Cupcakes
Equipment
- Mini Ice Cream Scooper
- Standing mixer
- Mini cupcake pan
- Mini cupcake liners
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup horchata powder I buy mine on Amazon
- 1/2 cup prepared horchata
For the Cinnamon Buttercream:
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar optional
- 1 14. Oz can condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Instructions for the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a mini cupcake pan with paper liners and grease generously.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and the horchata, beating until just combined.
- Using a mini ice cream scooper, scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Instructions for the frosting:
- In a large bowl, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes on high until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add in the condensed milk 1/4 cup at a time and wait until combined befpre adding the next 1/4 cup. If your frosting looks a little runny, you have 2 options: add in a little powdered sugar or you can whip it for another 2 minutes or so to fluff it up (I chose the latter to reduce the sugar).
- Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to make them regular size, up the temp to 350 degrees F and cut down the bake time to 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Don't over mix the batter, or the cupcakes will be tough.
- Be careful not to over bake the cupcakes, or they will be dry.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
