Cinnamon Cake!

Oh My GOD.

So I wanted to make a cake this weekend, my husband mentioned cinnamon cake and I KNOW how much he loves it.  I used to make it often a few years ago, but then we moved (a few times!) and I tried once and was so sad with my results that I just gave up on it.

Well, I'm so glad I gave it a go this afternoon!  It was beautiful.  SO beautiful.  Okay, so the cake doesn't look so special--there is no pretty frosting, no decorations, no layers.  You don't need it, trust me.  Maybe a bit of whipped cream or ice cream... yummmmy!

I'll share the recipe, because I'm so proud of it!  Please try it!

Ben's Cinnamon Cake!  (Named for my husband, who loves cinnamon cake :)

2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

Pan coating and inside layer:

2 tbsp. cocoa

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

8 or 9 in. pan

First, prepare your pan.  You could use an 8 or 9 inch pan.  I used an 8 in round pan because I wanted a thicker cake but the batter only just fit (I was concerned it may spill over!).  It was fine though and I was so happy with the results. 

To prepare your pan, butter the bottom and the sides well.  In a small bowl, mix together the 2 tbsp. cocoa, sugar, and tbsp. of cinnamon.  Coat the pan with this mixture reserving half or so to layer in the cake.

Note:  You have to be careful you don't overmix this batter, or else you could end up with a very heavy, stodgy cake.  I don't mind dense cakes, but I wanted this one to be on the fluffy side.  It turned out exactly how I wanted.

1)  Whisk the dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon) in a bowl and set aside.

2) Mix the wet ingredients together (butter, milk, vanilla, and egg)  Beat until completely combined.

3)  Add the dry ingredients to the wet, in 3 parts until just combined.  Be careful not to over mix.  Pour half of the batter in the prepped pan, sprinkle the reserved cocoa/cinnamon/sugar mixture on top, then add the rest of the batter.

4) Bake for 25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then remove.  Voila all finished and so so yummy!

I hope you love this delicious cake as much as I do! :)

Pretty Vanilla Cake with Pink Vanilla Buttercream

My sweet daughter, Maeve, is going to be turning 5 this year.  I can't believe she's growing so quickly!  Next month is her birthday and she's quite excited as you can imagine :)  It's such a big decision choosing what kind of cake she wants me to make for her.  I haven't really tried making a simple vanilla cake yet, so I thought I'd try my hand today.  I wanted something light, pretty, and yummy vanilla throughout.

See what I created!  I'm pretty proud of it, but Maeve wants something more girly, something more fancy, something more colorful.  Still, I bet this would make a lovely anniversary cake :)

Banana Cake with Cinnamon Frosting!

Banana cake layered with Walnuts and Cinnamon Creamcheese frosting!

Really proud of this one :)  My husband loves banana cake and makes it himself from time to time.  He usually makes a big one and whips some cream and it's delicious like that, but I wanted a fancier, prettier one.  And so.  This is my creation and I am so happy with how it turned out!

Chocolate Celebration Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

I had a wonderful opportunity to make a birthday cake this weekend for a friend's niece.  I was pretty excited about how it turned out!  I wasn't sure what to make for her and I went over lots of ideas in my head before choosing this beautiful cake.  I don't think you can go wrong with a rich, moist, homemade chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream.  I hope the birthday girl loved eating this cake as much as I loved baking it!  Happy Birthday Alyssa!

An Introduction to my Love and Obsession for Baking!

Hello Everyone!

I'm so happy you are taking the time to look me up and to find out a little more about me.  I've been baking for as long as I can remember.  Most meaningful memories for me are linked with memories of beautiful food and, especially, cakes.  My sister and I made magical chocolate chip cookies with our mom--I remember her chiding us for licking the spoons and eating more of the dough than actually went into the cookies!  I remember her letting me hold the mixer when we made birthday cakes.  I remember the chewy, rich brownies she whipped up for us on Sunday afternoons when the rain poured outside.  I remember cinnamony, crumbly peach cobbler that my dad loves so much.  I remember fluffy, decadent chocolate mousse cake my mom made for holidays--it was a rare treat that one!

For me though, it's cake.  Any reason I can find to make a cake, I make one.  Oh, husband, you hurt your leg?  CAKE!  Oh, Maeve, your tooth is loose?  CAKE!  Oh my, it's Wednesday?  CAKE!  All the better when it's a really good reason, like a birthday :)  An entire day of measuring, mixing, whipping, baking, and frosting?  I'm in heaven.

I am grown now and I have my own sweet daughters to whom I hope I can pass my love and obsession with baking.  Their little hands gets sticky from the sugar and powdery from the flour.  They love to lick the bowls after we're finished and they have the same chocolaty grins that my sister and I had when we were their ages.

I'll leave you with a photo of my beautiful girls and my latest cake.  A strawberry blueberry cake with mint swiss buttercream frosting.  They decided how to decorate it themselves! :)