Buttermilk Cinnamon Cake

I have been so, so lazy lately. I know this because I haven’t been getting out of bed until 8 am every morning for the past month (which is by no means normal for me). Then I look a recipes and think of making things and then I get caught up in sitting in bed and doing absolutely nothing. I don’t like being lazy. I need to be doing something. So now I’m getting off my lazy butt and making delicious things for you to drool over (and possibly make yourselves –hinthint-)

Today I bring you something I have been meaning to make for such a long time now. I think I have written the recipe down on at least three different occasions, but never made it. This is something I really regret because this cake is so moist, so tender, and best of all, so cinnamony that you will scrunch down on your seat and do your little happy-wiggle dance (you know you have one).

If you haven’t checked out Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, please do. And when you do try to pick your jaw up off the floor with as much dignity as you can. Her food is so rich, fattening, and scrumdidliumptious, just how desserts should look and taste. But if her food is not your style, just go for her words. I love every single post because of her words. Even if I don’t like the look of what she is sharing, I still read for her wit and wisdom.

So, back to this cake – Peabody calls it a bread but to me it has more qualities of a cake. This cake is very soft and has a beautiful swirl of cinnamon inside. I ate one slice plain and at room temperature. The cake was delicious, but I couldn’t really taste the cinnamon. Later that night I tried a slice heated in the microwave with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and WOW! That made all the difference. The cinnamon flavor was heightened about 100 times and the hot-cold combination of the cake and ice cream was out of this world. I really recommend eating a slice warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Cake

Recipe from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Makes one 9x5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

¼ cup canola oil

¾ cup sugar

½ cup sugar

½ tbsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, oil, and sugar until completely combined. Fold the flour mixture into the buttermilk. Stir just until combined, do not over mix. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup sugar and ½ tbsp. cinnamon.

Spoon about 1/3 to ½ of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle as much of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Cover the cinnamon sugar with the remaining batter. Sprinkle a little more cinnamon sugar on top. With a knife, swirl the cinnamon sugar through the batter, much like making a marble cake.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cake to cool in the pan for about 30-45 minutes. Turn the cake out and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Once cake is completely cool, drizzle glaze over the top of the cake. Slice and serve.

To make glaze, combine ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar and 1 tbsp. milk. Add more or less milk to obtain desired consistency.   

Blue Ribbon Coffee Cake

Baking has been slow for the past couple weeks. I usually do all my baking on the weekends so I’ll have a post up by Monday and Thursday. But these past two weeks have been hectic. I’ve been writing 11 page lab reports, studying for tests, doing two hours worth of math homework, and goodness knows what else. It’s all starting to run together. So this past weekend I took it easy. I’m sort of regretting it now though. Since I decided to do minimal homework, it’s all piling up on itself and I feel like I’m drowning in stuff. But it’s ok. When I get going, the workload doesn’t seem as bad anymore. I guess it’s all about balance, right?

So while I was having a leisurely weekend, something delicious came out of the kitchen. It’s coffee cake. I haven’t had coffee cake in the longest time. And I certainly can’t remember the last time I baked coffee cake.

This coffee cake recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs: Baked Bree. She made this cake back in September and divided the batter between four of the cutest little tube pans I have ever seen. I don’t have cute tube pans so I just made mine in a regular 9 inch square pan, but that doesn’t alter the taste I swear.

This coffee cake is perfectly soft. Even when I was cutting it into squares I could tell how tender this cake was going to be. The top is sugary, kind of like the top of crème brule, only better because it’s crumbly. I found the texture of the cake to be at its best the day it was made, but when heated up the next day and topped with a little bit of vanilla bean ice cream, it’s pure heaven. Seriously. The melted ice cream gets into the little cracks of the cake and the sugary topping soaks up all the ice cream. Plus the warm/cold combo is just so nice.

This cake didn’t last more than 24 hours (I may or may not have been the reason for that). So when you feel like having a slack day, make this coffee cake, you wont be sorry.

Blue Ribbon Coffee Cake

Hardly adapted from Baked Bree

Makes one 9 inch square pan

Ingredients

1/3 cup (63 g) dark brown sugar

¼ cup (48 g) sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 egg, room temperature

½ cup (96 g) sugar

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

4 oz. sour cream (I used light)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 9 inch square pan with tin foil. Grease tin foil with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the dark brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla (this is the cinnamon-vanilla-sugar topping for the top of the cake). Set the bowl aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer filled with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fully. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. The mixture may look a little curdled, but that’s ok, it will smooth out eventually.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in the bowl. Beat on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated. The batter will look and feel very sticky, almost light a dough. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. It will look like there is not enough batter for the pan, but just keep spreading and it will distribute itself out. Sprinkle the reserved cinnamon-vanilla-sugar topping on top of the cake. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats

From October to December time seems to fly by so quickly. I looked at the calendar the other day and was shocked to find that half the month had already passed. Where did that first part of October go? I don’t know, but now I feel the pressure to get more things done.

Today, I’m sharing something very fun. I’m sharing cinnamon roll rice krispie treats. I have had the recipe saved on my computer for a while now, and when a pumpkin spice rice krispie recipe fell through the cracks I quickly came back to these as an alternative, and I’m very glad I did.

The rice krispie part is so pretty with the specks of cinnamon scattered throughout the treat. I was actually mesmerized when I added the cinnamon to the melted marshmallow in the pot . The component that really makes these like cinnamon rolls is the cream cheese frosting. It’s not too sweet, but it’s also not too cream cheesey either. I think frosting is slowly starting to make its way into my heart.

And thank you Brenda for hosting this year's 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats. This post marks 4 weeks into the celebration. 

Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats

Slightly adapted from Cooking Classy

Makes 16 squares

Cinnamon Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

dash salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

5 oz. mini marshmallows

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups rice krispie cereal

Directions

Line a 9-inch square pan with tin foil. Grease the foil with cooking spray; set aside.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in the salt and cinnamon and stir. Add in the mini marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows have melted completely. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the cold cereal to the hot marshmallow mixture.

Pour the hot cereal and marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly across the pan with a greased rubber spatula. Gently press down to compact the treats. Set the pan in the refrigerator to cool as you make the cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, soft

2 oz. cream cheese, soft

¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Beat the cream cheese and butter until well combined. Stir in the vanilla. Gently beat the powdered sugar in three stages so as not to make the sugar go flying.

Take the pan out of the fridge and cut into squares. Use a butter knife to spread the cream cheese frosting over the rice krispie treat. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon if desired.

Cinnamon Muffins with a Crumble Topping

I know it’s been hot out, and I know many of you don’t want to turn on the oven. But these muffins are really worth it.

These have been on my list of stuff to bake for a really long time. It seems no matter how much I try and cross off that list more things just keep popping up. I wonder if I’ll ever have nothing on that list. Gosh I hope not. The funny thing about that list is that I like having it long. It gives me options and inspiration.

So, back to muffins. I found these on Brenda’s blog. I previously made her Chocolate Chip Scones with a Peanut Butter Glaze and because I loved those scones so much, I knew she wouldn’t let me down with this muffin recipe.

I did do a few alterations to the recipe, but only because I’m not sure I like blueberries. I know I’ve mentioned I don’t like fruit or vegetables, and the thing is… I think it’s their texture. I see gorgeous blueberries and strawberries in the produce section of my grocery store and I imagine how they taste and it’s wonderful, but then I think of how it would feel in my mouth and I just shudder and walk away. It’s a shame, I know. So instead of putting blueberries into the muffins, I upped the amount of cinnamon and added just a dash of ground nutmeg.

These were really some of the best muffins I have ever made. The interior was so soft, even on the second day! And the crumble was so crunch and perfectly sweet. You can’t ever go wrong with a crumble topping, not on anything!

So go on, turn on that oven, it won’t kill you because you’ll probably do this in the morning when the sun hasn’t had enough time to boil yet. And just think, these muffins only take about 15 minutes to cook so you really won’t have that oven on for too long anyways.

Cinnamon Muffins with a Crumble Topping
Recipe from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles
Makes 10 muffins

Ingredients
1 egg, room temperature
½ cup milk
¼ cup canola oil
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and canola oil. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until the batter just comes together, try not to over mix. Use a medium cookie scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup to divide the batter between the muffin tins. Let the batter sit in the pan while you make the crumble.

In a small bowl combine the sugar and flour together. Add in the cubed butter and rub the mixture with the tips of your fingers. You will want pea-sized chunks. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the muffins. Place in the oven and bake until the tops are golden, about 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

I love cinnamon sugar. Well, then again who doesn’t? It’s probably one of the best scents in the word, plus one of the tastiest!

So, diverging a little here, but I’ll be getting my wisdom teeth out in just a few days (I got my top ones out when I was ten and it hurt like a mother trucker!). It’s going to suck because my sister, who tolerates pain very well, was in pain. I on the other hand do not tolerate pain as well as she and I’m terrified. The only exciting thing is that I’ll be able to drink milkshakes, eat ice cream, and pudding as legit meals, although, I will probably have some soup throughout the week as well.

And because for the next week I’ll be eating only soft foods at a snail’s pace, I decided to get the crunch craving out of my system. That’s where biscotti come in.

I seem to have an affinity for biscotti. I don’t know what it is, but biscotti are always just so delicious and crunchy and perfect for dipping! And you can manipulate them to have any flavor and mix-ins you could ever imagine! Of course you can kind of do that with any cookie, but I feel that biscotti have more power to support such things.

When I saw these cinnamon sugar beauties on Tracey’s blog I knew I wanted to make them. I put them on my “To Bake” list and went on the merry way. I tend to have a very small attention span when it comes to treats because I totally forgot about these, until I was scanning my very long list and re-discovered them! I knew it had been a while since I had made any kind of cookie and it has been too long since I have worked with cinnamon sugar.

These biscotti turned out a little crunchier than I’m used to, but that’s ok because it soaked up my glass of milk very nicely. It stayed firm, but soft enough to bite into without having to comp down on it or it breaking away and falling into the milky depths of my cup. And the taste? So, so cinnamony! The best part was licking the excess cinnamon sugar off my fingers when I was done.

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

Slightly adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
Makes 2 dozen

Topping
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside

In a medium sized bowl mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar on medium-fast speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg until well incorporated. Add the vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl one more time. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the flour. Once all the flour has been incorporated turn the speed up to medium and beat for 30 seconds. The mixture will be crumbly.

Divide the crumbly mixture equally (I used a scale to do this). Take one crumbly pile and pack it tightly. Knead the dough for a little bit until it can be shaped easily. Form the dough into a log (about 9 inches long, 1 ½ inches wide). Repeat with the second half of the dough.

Place logs on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tops. Bake logs for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, but don’t turn the oven off. Let the logs cool for 5-10 minutes. Once the logs have cooled enough cut diagonal slices. Turn the slice onto their sides and bake for 5 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake for another 5.

Remove from the oven and allow biscotti to cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes. Since I don’t drink tea or coffee I dunked these babies in some milk, but by all means, if you are a coffee/tea drinker, dunk them in that.

Cake Slice Bakers - April 2012: Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake

This month, the Cake Slice Bakers and I made a Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake. I love cinnamon, I love pound cake, and I love streusel, so this cake already seemed like a winner in my book.

Tish Boyle, the author, describes this cake as being a “sure-fire bake sale hit” and I think it definitely is. The cake has a really tender crumb and it stays moist for days! Only after about a week after baking did the corners of this cake start to get a little stale.

The cake was lovely and moist, and had a wonderful yellow color. I don’t know why I’m obsessed with how yellow desserts are. I don’t even really like yellow unless it’s on the pastelish side. But when it comes to desserts, I’m all on the yellow bandwagon. So yes, this cake is lovely and yellow and super moist. Then there’s the brown sugar-cinnamon streusel that goes into this cake. The streusel inside the cake melted perfectly into the middle of the pound, but the top didn’t really stick or melt. But it did add a lovely crunch to the top.  

I made a few changes, but nothing drastic. Instead of making it in a regular Bundt pan (I have one, but it’s Christmas themed), I halved the recipe and used a 9x5 inch loaf pan. I also omitted the orange zest, but after reading some of my fellow baker’s comments about the sweet orange note in the background, I wish I hadn’t. Next time I make this cake I will make sure to add the orange zest.

To check out how the other bakers did, click here.

Cinnamon Streusel Buttermilk Pound Cake

Adapted from The Cake Book
Makes one 9x5 inch loaf

Cinnamon Streusel Ingredients
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ½ tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Pound Cake Ingredients
1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
Pinch of cardamom
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the streusel. Stir until blended and crumbly. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until very creamy, about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduced the speed to medium and beat in the egg and egg yolk. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl now. Beat in the vanilla extract. Turn the speed down to low and gradually add in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Pour in half of the buttermilk. Add in another 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by the rest of the buttermilk. Beat in the last of the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the batter on medium for about 30 seconds.

Scrape half of the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle on half of the streusel mixture (or you can sprinkle it all on and leave none for the top). Cover the streusel with the remaining batter. If you chose to have the streusel on top, sprinkle the rest on right now. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out relatively clean. Cook the cake in the pan on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Invert the cake onto a wire rack and then revert it onto its final resting plate.