Cupcake Exceptions! Happy 23rd Charlene!!

Ok..were heading into March and the holiday season is long gone.  I've definitely shifted my cooking focus from baking Christmas cookies and cupcakes to healthy running/nutrition inspired meals particularly breakfast because its my favorite (if you can't tell).


BUT... there are few very special exceptions throughout the year when it is necessary to make some Good Ole butter, flour, and egg cupcakes from rich recipes that I haven't tweaked (much) with my health conscious obsession.

The occasion: My amazing friend Charlene's 23rd birthday !!

Charlene and I on halloween 

Charlene and I went to both high school and college together. We grew really close in college at NC State (we were minority "outer staters" and were each other' pieces of home) We loved NC State but we had our homesick moments. So every year on Char's birthday I took it upon myself to go all out to make sure it was a good time! Now were back home, I'm at UMD in my final year and Char (very on top of her game) graduated college in 3 years and is living and working in D.C.! While we are fortunate to have all our girls (minus Crista) back in the area to celebrate I still feel the need to something special for her because...she's amazing and I love her and stuff ;)


SOOO the cupcake of choice:  Cinnamon Sugar! 


I took the recipe from Annie, who's Annie?? Oh just my favorite cupcake blogger EVER! She makes tons of other great recipes but I LOVE her cupcakes! In fact my sister's have been joking with me that since the holidays are over and I haven't baked much (AT ALL)  that Annie and I must be fighting lol yes this conversation happened. But I can assure you were not :)...well were not at least not today ;)

Annie's Eat's  (recipe linked) Cinnamon  Cupcakes 

Her verison

 Annie's cupcake's CHARLENE style! The only change I made was using skim milk instead of whole milk and reduced fat cream cheese for the frosting instead of regular (mainly because I those were the products I had on hand).

 Oh...ya and I had to add a little spunk into the final product! 

TAADAAA!!

Thanks Annie!! Time to surprise Char and the girls :)