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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
More Cinnamon Recipes To Enjoy!
- Homemade Cinnamon Apple Strudel
- Cinnamon Apple Puff Pastry Squares
- Cinnamon Cake Donuts
- Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake
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!
The Best Easy Cinnamon Cake
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
Nutrition
Updated from October 5, 2014.
Hi..can I use wheat flour instead of all purpose flour for this recipe?
Hi Eliz, unfortunately it isn’t a good idea, because whole wheat flour will make the cake much too dense. Sorry.
AMAZING! 😳😳😝😘
My daughter nailed it while baking.
Thanks so much for the recipe
You’ve inspired her😘😘👍🏻
Hi Juliet, thanks so much, I love when kids start to cook and bake. Take care.
Hi, I have made this delicious cake twice now – the flavours are amazing. But both times, while fabulous to taste, the cake was lacking in the looks department. It rose beautifully in the oven, but then sank flat on cooling, leaving the middle a tiny bit soggy. Could this be because it was not quite baked through, even though a knife came out clean? Both times, the cake had over 60 mins at 160C.
Or could it be because the mixture curdled when I added the eggs. Beating in a spoonful of flour did not ‘cure’ this, so it was a bit grainy and very loose when it went in the pan (much sloppier than my usual cake mixes). How do I avoid that curdling?
Any tips, please, as it is a wonderful cake and I would like it to look perfect too!
Thanks. I will keep trying, as it is so yummy.
Hi Fran, well it looks like it curdled because you are using sour milk. It shouldn’t sink, it could be your oven temperature is off or your baking powder could have expired. Hope that helps.
Thank you, Rosemary. My guess is that the oven temp is a bit off, as I have noticed things are taking a bit longer to cook. Will try adjusting up a few degrees next time.
Going to try some more of your fantastic recipe soon!
Stay well!
Hi Fran, great, let me know how it goes and how the other recipes work out. Take care.
Fluffy delicious!
I tried this and it was just wow.. Thanks am looking forward to more of your recipes☺
Thanks Sylvia, glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
Can I use Greek yogurt 0% instead of sour milk in the above recipe?
Would a 9” pan work?
Many Thanks!
Hi Rickie, yes greek yogurt would be fine although you should use 3/4 cup greek yogurt and 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water. That should work, let me know how it goes. A nine inch pan should be good.
An I use sour cream instead of sour milk, and how much? Thanks!
Hi Teresa, that should work although if you use sour cream you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of milk to arrive at the same texture. Check out the video to compare. Let me know how it goes.
I want to do this for my moms birthday tomorrow. I don’t have springform pan, just a rectangular metal pan. is that ok?
Hi Sarah, that would work just make sure to grease and flour it well, or spray. Happy Birthday to your Mom.
Hi…Can i add sour cream? if yes how much please..your cake looks moist and fluffy….thank you
Hi Premila, that should work although if you use greek yogurt you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of milk to arrive at the same texture. Check out the video to compare. Let me know how it goes.
Absolutely delicious! So fluffy and well balanced, my family loved it and it was easy to perfect on the first try. thank you!
Hi Nadine, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it.
I made this cake following the recipe exactly and it was wonderful. Everyone at work just loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hi Deborah, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Hi!
I was wondering if I could use Buttermilk instead of sour milk? Thanks!!
HiLaura, yes that should work fine. Let me know how it turns out.
hi rosemary. a couple of questions: 1) do you think i could add mini cinnamon chips to the cake mix? and 2) do you think it would work well with a spicy chocolate buttercream icing?
thanks so much!
Hi Teresa, I think adding cinnamon chips would work, but don’t add too many, start with 1/3 cup (toss them with a little flour 1 teaspoon so they don’t sink). I think the icing would work, you never know until you try :). Let me know how it turns out.
Can I add apples to this recipe?
Hi Linda, I have never added apples to it but you can try. Let me know how it is. Maybe one chopped small.
Delicious! My new favorite cake.
Hi Mina, thanks so much so glad you like it.
I just made this. I love the soft crumb of the cake although it is crumbly. The cinnamon ribbons going through the cake make it so delicious.
Hi Kathleen, thanks glad you like it. It could be too crumbly because you are not mixing the batter enough. Have a great Sunday.
Hi Rosemary,
Please let me know about the model and price of the hand mixer you use for preparing Simple Easy Cinnamon Cake and Homemade Cinnamon Buns. Thanks so much for the great recipes of my two favorite cakes among other amazing ones!
Hi Le, the mixer is a Braun 450 speed mixer, apparently it is only available in Europe. But you could check around and see. I am not sure of the price, but I think I paid about 50 euros for it. I love it and I have had it for years.