Monkey Bread Mini Cakes

When it comes to inventive things for brunch, I love throwing out just the most random things ever and watching people's faces light up. Growing up I always loved Monkey Bread, but I always hated how it would just sit in the middle of the table and you had to reach if you wanted any.

So how exactly could I change that up? Well, I messed around with it a bit and came up with Monkey Bread Mini Cakes!

Individual Monkey Bread. How can you not love that? And with a frosting that is delicious and makes it look like a breakfast cupcake!

Let's get started, shall we?

There's not much to Monkey Bread. For a breakfast bread that always amazed me as a child there just is not much to it at all!

So first, you want to melt your butter. I like doing it in a glass measuring cup (make sure it's microwave safe) because it's then easier to pour over the breads...

Just go ahead and set that aside.

Then in a big bowl mix up 1/2 cup of sugar...

And 2 teaspoons of Cinnamon.

Then take a fork or spoon and really mix it together well, making sure there's no major clumps of either sugar or cinnamon.

All in all it should end up looking like this:

Now go ahead and open up your can of biscuits and get out a good clean pair of scissors.

That's right I said scissors.

Stop looking at me funny!

Just get out your clean scissors and cut the biscuit in half.

Then cut the halves in half.

Then dump them all into your sugar and cinnamon mixture...

And toss them around a bit!

Now, in a greased cupcake pan (6 to 8 large preferably!) press in 5 quarters in the bottom of each cup.

Then pour just a bit of melted butter over each.

You don't want to drown them... and you're going to want to split the butter evenly amongst the cakes (and remember that each cake will get 2 shots of the butter. The middle, and on top).

Now for the next layer, you're going to want to take the biscuit and cut it in half... then cut that half in half...

Then cut that half in half!

Yes folks, we've gone to an 8th of a biscuit.

Now go ahead and press in about 8 to 10 8ths into the top of each cup.

Pour just a little bit of butter over the top...

And then top with a spoonful of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. This will give the top just a little bit of crunch!

Then pop these in the oven in a 350 degree temp for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While those a baking however, let's go ahead and make some good cream cheese frosting!

Simple enough right?

Just take your 1/2 cup of powdered sugar...

1/2 container (or 4 oz) of cream cheese...

And mix them together until smooth with a good hand mixer.

Then add anywhere from 1 to 3 Tablespoons of milk, depending on your taste and how creamy you'd like your frosting.

And mix again until smooth!

Super simple right? And hey, our mini cakes are done in the meantime!

Look at those bad boys. They tend to explode all over the place, but it's in such a good way.

Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then go ahead and take them out of the pan.

Now trust me. These are good just like that. Sweet and gooey and oh so memory invoking.

But I like to take things just a step further.

Go ahead and get a big old spoonful of your cream cheese frosting...

And slather it on the top!

Oh man that looks like breakfast to me!

Talk about a little wedge of deliciousness.

You'll have your brunch guests asking you for your autograph, it's that good.

Just... trust me on this one.

Monkey Bread Mini Cakes

2 cans (7.5 oz. each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 stick butter or margarine, melted

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 to 3 Tbsp. milk

Heat oven to 350°F.

Cut each biscuit into quarters.

Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add dough quarters, in batches; toss to coat.

Place 1/2 the biscuit pieces in greased large cupcake pan (6 to 8 cups); drizzle with 1/2 the butter. Cut remaining quarters in half and place overtop of first layer. Drizzle with remaining butter. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon-sugar.

Bake 20 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool in pan 5 min. then remove using a fork or knife.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in small bowl with mixer until well blended. Add 1 1 Tbsp. milk; beat until well blended. Blend in enough of the remaining milk until glaze is of desired consistency. Drizzle over warm cakes.