Cinnamon Icing

Here is a cute little Christmas recipe, just in the nick of time!  This icing was so good it out shined the cupcake!  This may be in part because I cheated and used a box mix, but the Krusteaz mix is so good.  Plus it makes both gingerbread and cookies!  Just buy two boxes and you will yummy cupcakes and cute cookie toppers!

Cinnamon Icing

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature*

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter softened to room temperature*
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Using stand mixer, with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

2.  Mix in vanilla and cinnamon.

3.  Add powdered sugar one cup at a time.

4.  You can add a little more sugar, or a little milk until optimal consistency is reached for icing.

Tips:
* It is very important to let the butter and cream cheese soften at their own pace.  Otherwise you will get butter cream that tastes like you are eating a stick of butter. Yuck!  I usually put the butter out the night before, and the cream cheese out in the morning.  Also do not microwave it!  I know it is very tempting to do, but you will never get the right consistency that way. 

I used a piping bag and tip to apply the icing, but you can use an offset spatula too!  I also had to search far and wide to find this tiny gingerbread man cookie cutter.  So I will make it easy for you.   :)  You can get it here.