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Simple Easy Cinnamon Cake

This Easy Cinnamon Cake, is one of the best cakes. It’s fast, easy and delicious. A soft full of cinnamon cake recipe. The scent of cinnamon baking in the oven has to be one of the most amazing aromas! The perfect anytime cake, from breakfast, to snack to dessert.

Cake on a cake stand with a slice on a black plate.


 

This cinnamon cake was one of my mother’s recipes, my mother is probably my  main source for my non-Italian dessert recipes, because holy cow could my mother bake! From her shortbread cookies, to lemon bread to one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes, and of course this amazing cinnamon cake!

Recipe Ingredients

  • Brown sugar – light or golden brown sugar
  • Cinnamon – ground cinnamon
  • Butter – softened
  • Sugar – granulated sugar
  • Eggs – large eggs room temperature
  • Flour – all purpose flour or cake/pastry flour
  • Baking powder – for leavening
  • Baking soda – for leavening
  • Salt (2 grams)
  • Sour milk – homemade sour milk
  • Vanilla – vanilla extract

How To Make Homemade Cake/Pastry Flour

For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.

Cinnamon cake on a black cake stand.

How To Make A Cinnamon Cake Recipe

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Butter creamed and the dry ingredients in a white bowl.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, and beat until fluffy. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour milk, ending with the sour milk to the creamed mixture. Add the vanilla and mix well.

The batter made in the silver mixing bowl.

Spoon a third of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Spoon another third of the batter on top.

Batter in the pan.

Add the remaining cinnamon mixture and then the remaining batter. Bake until done or a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Cinnamon mixture on the batter in the pan.

Why Use Room Temperature Ingredients?

When at room temperature, eggs, butter, and other dairy ingredients form an emulsion which traps air. While baking in the oven, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy baked good. So be sure to remove the ingredients from the fridge 45-60 minutes before baking.

Why Cinnamon Cake?

Cinnamon, with its sweet, woody aroma, has been cherished in culinary traditions around the world for centuries. It’s versatile enough to enhance both savory dishes and sweet treats, but it truly shines in desserts. A cinnamon cake combines the spice’s bold flavor with the tender crumb of a classic cake, creating a dessert that’s both comforting and irresistibly delicious.

If there was one cake that I could eat all by myself this would be the one, Cinnamon Cake. I can’t tell you how delicious this cake really is, it’s so good it needs no glaze, frosting or streusel topping. A light dusting of powdered sugar if desired is all it needs!

Cake on a cake stand with a slice missing.

Why Does My Cake Fall?

  • There are a lot a reasons a cake may fall, but the most common ones are, your oven temperature is off, you can always check it with an oven  thermometer to check this.
  • You open the oven door too early. Never open the oven door before 25-30 minutes of baking.
  • Once the batter is mixed it should be baked, letting a cake batter sit too long can cause it to fall. The baking powder or baking soda usually start acting immediately and will only last for a very short period of time, therefore if the cake batter is left to stand before baking then there is always a risk that the baking powder or soda will have expired by the time that the cake goes into the oven.
  • Your baking powder or soda has expired and is no long active.
  • Use room temperature ingredients.
  • The pan size might not be the correct size, sometimes using a bundt pan will help.

Recipe FAQs

How to make sour milk

To make sour milk add one tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to one cup measure, top off with milk, let sit for about 10 – 15 minutes.

Why use baking soda in a recipe?

Baking soda reacts with acids in a recipe, neutralizing them and, in the process, creating carbon dioxide. Examples of acids include: sour milk, brown sugar, lemon juice, or yogurt.

How to store the cake

As long as the cake is unfrosted it should be kept at room temperature. Keep it in a cake container or well wrapped. It will keep for up to 3 days. If you store it in the fridge, wrap tightly to keep it from drying out. It will keep for up to 5-6 days in the fridge.

How to freeze the cake

Be sure to cool the cake completely then wrap it tightly in either plastic wrap or foil, place it in a freeze safe bag. The cake will keep for  up to 2 months. When ready to thaw place the wrapped cake in the refrigerator to thaw before serving.

A slice of cake on a black plate.

More Cinnamon Recipes To Enjoy!

Easy and fast to put together and that amazing smell wafting through the house. Soft, moist and cinnamony and so totally perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, one slice, two or three slices, who cares, who’s counting? Enjoy!

Cake on a cake stand with a slice on a black plate.

The Best Easy Cinnamon Cake

Rosemary Molloy
Simple Easy Cinnamon Cake, a soft, delicious and moist Cake Recipe. Perfect for snack, dessert or even Breakfast. Everyone will love it.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings
Calories 335 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ¾ cup butter softened*
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour or cake/pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sour milk (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

*If using unsalted butter then add ½ teaspoon of salt.

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 325F (160C). Grease and flour or spray an 8 inch / 20cm springform or regular cake pan.
  • In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
  • In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar, approximately 2-3 minutes, then add the eggs, beat until fluffy.
  • Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour milk, ending with the sour milk to the creamed mixture. Add the vanilla and mix well.
  • Spoon 1/3 of the batter into prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon mixture. Spoon another 1/3 of the batter on top, then remaining cinnamon mixture, then top with the remaining batter. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Remove from oven and let cool 15-20 minutes in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

To make sour milk – add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup measure and top off with milk, let sit for about 10 – 15 minutes.
To make homemade pastry/cake flour – for every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
For room temperature ingredients remove ingredients 45-60 minutes from the fridge before using. 
To store the cake – as long as the cake is unfrosted it should be kept at room temperature. Keep it in a cake container or well wrapped. It will keep for up to 3 days. If you store it in the fridge, wrap tightly to keep it from drying out. It will keep for up to 5-6 days in the fridge.
To freeze the cake – be sure to cool the cake completely then wrap it tightly in either plastic wrap or foil, place it in a freeze safe bag. The cake will keep for  up to 2 months. When ready to thaw place the wrapped cake in the refrigerator to thaw before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

Updated from October 5, 2014.

300 Comments

  1. I want to make this for our Christmas Eve dinner. I am wondering if I can use a regular cake pan instead of spring form? I have a 9 inch. How would I need to modify the recipe? Just cook it less time?
    Thanks!!!

    1. Hi Jennifer, sure a regular cake pan is fine and yes I would start to check it at about 35-40 minutes. Hope that helps. Merry Christmas.

    1. Hi Veronica, well I wouldn’t say love lol, but I am quite used to it after all these years, but I do love going home. Ps I always wanted to live in the UK. 🙂 Hope you are at home there.

  2. 5 stars
    Hi Rose, may I ask, if I wanted to make a three layer cake usin 8inches sandwich tins and use buttercream (flavoured with golden syrup) what ratio could I use? Should I double the ingredients? Would the buttercream be too heavy for the sponge? Also mother in low has to have it gluten free could I just substitute the flour? Sorry so many questions, but I got so excited about the sound of your cake!!! Oh and mine will be topped with gingerbread biscuits too…fingers crossed I will pull it off 🙂

    1. Hi Veronica, I would double the recipe for the 8 inch tins, I don’t thing the buttercream will be too heavy (sounds delicious). But I can’t tell you about substituting the flour, because I have only made it with all purpose. Sorry. and no problem with the questions. Let me know how it goes. Sounds amazing. Merry Christmas. ps remember not to cut out the cookies too thin.

  3. This cake looks so scrumptious. I like the simple soft look of the cake. In my experience Cinnamon is not not a common flavor for a cake and thus makes it a fascinating recipe to try out.

  4. 5 stars
    I added this cake as a last minute addition to our Thanksgiving dessert table. HUGE hit!!! So moist and tender. Everyone loved it, even me. I am not a huge fan of cinnamon, but this cake was delicious. Paired it with a little homemade whipped cream and it was perfection. Even better for breakfast the next morning with a cup of tea. Thanks for sharing another great recipe.

  5. 5 stars
    I made this cake a few days ago and it was so delicious! That is even with forgetting to add the vanilla. I will be saving this recipe for future use. Thanks for sharing.

  6. 5 stars
    I tried it two days ago for a work party and it turned out so good. It was very quick to put together, although I baked it for an hour and covered it with aluminium foil half way into baking to avoid it from getting too dark. I loved it so much that I saved this recipe and it is going in my recipe box. Thank you Rose.

    1. Hi Maahi, so glad you enjoyed it. Yes I find sometimes baking in my oven is quicker for some reason. Have a great weekend.

    1. Hi Franny, I have never made it with sour cream, but apparently you can but you will have to adjust the butter amount also, so I don’t know if the taste and texture of the cake will change too. 🙂

    1. Hi Christine, low fat milk should be fine, and no I didn’t swirl it. Hope your Dad likes it and has a wonderful Birthday.

  7. 5 stars
    Your cinnamon cake look so delicious! I’ve never tried making cinnamon cake before, but after reading your recipe I feel like I have to. Thank you for sharing!

  8. 5 stars
    I’m so happy I found this recipe. I am not a great baker and rarely make any desserts for my family but this cake came out sooooooo good. I’m serving it with vanilla ice-cream. Oh, and I substituted the sour milk with plain yogurt.

  9. 5 stars
    Thank you ! This is the second time I am using this recipe and it’s always been deliscous, love the cheat with the sour milk as I always forget to get one so I use lemon.

  10. I literally started having hunger pangs halfway through the post. It looks amazing and I bet it also tastes delicious too. It is the perfect dish to cook up in this season. I can’t wait to try it . Looking forward to reading more delectable recipes in the upcoming posts.

4.66 from 246 votes (163 ratings without comment)

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