CINfully Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes

My favorite flatmate gave me a recipe for snickerdoodle cupcakes which I transformed into these chocolate cinnamon delights since I’m not a big fan of snickerdoodles. Garnish with cinnamon sugar or cocoa and enjoy!

Original recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar, or as needed

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed

PREP

20 mins
COOK

15 mins
READY IN

1 hr 5 mins

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
Beat together the chocolate cake mix, 1 cup milk, eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until moist. Beat for 2 more minutes on medium speed.
Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full of batter.
Sprinkle the cupcakes with cinnamon sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Cream together 1/2 cup butter and shortening in a bowl until smooth.
Stir in sea salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, cocoa powder, and 3 cups confectioners’ sugar.
Stir in milk.
Mix in 2 more cups confectioners’ sugar or as needed until desired consistency is achieved.
Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.