Cinnamon Cake

Original cinnamon cake recipe.

Ok, I thought I'd start with an easy one. Cinnamon cake, #60. To the right you'll see the exact recipe from the cookbook. Sugar, butter, milk, baking powder, flour -- normal enough.

Cinnamon cake before baking.

"Punch holes in the batter and fill with brown sugar and cinnamon and seal the holes with butter." Hmmm...this is where the first decisions must be made. How much brown sugar and how much butter? Sure, it's easy to say a sprinkle of cinnamon in each hole, that shouldn't make much difference in a batter but butter and sugar? That could make a difference.

So I decide on a big pinch of brown sugar squeezed together tightly (like you pack brown sugar normally) and then about a half inch square of butter (completely randomly chosen). You can see the results to the right. BTW, punching holes in the batter was difficult - I'd punch it and it would, of course, just fill right back in!

And then, how many holes? I decided on six.

And what kind of pan was I supposed to put this cake in? I chose a loaf pan.

The last decision - what is a medium hot oven? I went with 350 degrees.

So into the oven it went.

Cinnamon cake after baking.

20 minutes later - that cake is definitely not done! Ok, 10 more minutes.

Tested with the toothpick method and it came out clean so I declared the cake done  (see picture to the right).

So, if I were to make this recipe again this is what I would change. 

First, I would  "punch" more holes to have more brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.

Second, I would bump the oven up to 375 degrees.

Overall, this cake turned out nicely flavored although maybe not all that attractive. It tasted like a pound cake but without the normal level of ingredients of a pound cake. It was dense and heavy and the bottom was like an "upside down" cake where the brown sugar, cinnamon and butter made a nice crusty bottom. Perhaps I punched the holes too deep?

Besides simply eating it with butter (melted butter made it even better!) I used it to make french toast for Van. He LOVED it! 

French toast made with the cinnamon cake.

Cinnamon cake simply sliced.