Description
This cinnamon icing recipe is rich, creamy, and full of warm cinnamon flavor – the perfect frosting for cakes, cupcakes, and all your favorite sweet treats. Made with just a few simple ingredients, it comes together quickly and spreads smoothly with a soft, fluffy texture. While it’s delicious on cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns, it really shines as a cozy, flavorful frosting that takes homemade desserts to the next level.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 7 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 - 3/4 cups Heavy Cream or Milk
- 3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
(affiliate)
Instructions
- Whip It Up! Start by adding the room temperature butter to a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the butter on a medium speed for about 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once.
- Vanilla & Salt: Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk to the butter, along with the vanilla extract and salt.
- Start Mixing! Turn mixer on medium speed until these ingredients are incorporated. This should only take about 30 seconds. Again, scrape that bowl!
- Powdered Sugar: Lower mixer speed to the lowest setting and start adding the powdered sugar in increments. Adding a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk between each.
- Mix on Low: Slightly increase the mixer speed to help mix these ingredients, but do not turn on too high or you will whip too much air into the buttercream.
- Add Cinnamon: Sprinkle the ground cinnamon
(affiliate)
into the mixing bowl and beat on low speed until it is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure the cinnamon is evenly mixed throughout the icing. - Finish: Mix on low-medium until all ingredients are incorporated, at this point you should have perfectly smooth and fluffy cinnamon icing!
Notes
Powdered Sugar: 7 1/2 Cups or (1) 2 lb bag of powdered sugar. I always use the full 2 lb bag.
Heavy cream tip: In my testing, 10 tablespoons of heavy cream was the sweet spot for this cinnamon icing. It creates a smooth, creamy texture that spreads easily while still holding its shape on cakes and cupcakes. You can adjust slightly if needed, but this amount consistently gives the best results.
Stiffer: For a stiffer buttercream, add less than recommended amount of heavy cream.
Ultra-Creamy: For an ultra-creamy buttercream, add a maximum of 12 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: American