Cinnamon Layer Cake Food

CINNAMON LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease with shortening and flour 2 8" round cake pans. Set aside.
• Beat cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer on low speed just to moisten, scraping sides as needed. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
• Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
• Bake 22-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Beat 1 cup butter in large bowl of an electric mixer (whisk attachment and medium speed) until light, fluffy and almost white in appearance.
• Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until blended.
• Add in 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 2 cups powdered sugar**. Beat until well blended.
• Add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar to stiffen the buttercream, or more heavy cream to make it more spreadable, as you desire.
• Place one cake layer on a cake plate.
• Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top of the cake.
• Place the second cake layer on top.
• Frost the entire outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
• Dust the top of the cake with cinnamon and decorate with cinnamon sticks if desired.

APPLE CINNAMON LAYER CAKE WITH GOOEY CARAMEL DRIZZLE

Steps:

• For the apple cinnamon cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray or line with parchment.
• Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.
• Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated, then remove the bowl from the mixer.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl, then stir into the creamed butter mixture by hand. Mix the milk into the batter until smooth.
• You should have about 6 cups of batter. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the batter (or a quarter of your total batter) into one of the prepared cake pans; add a quarter of the apples and a quarter of the brown sugar mixture, lightly patting the apple mixture into the batter. Gently pour another 1 1/2 cups of the batter over the apple layer; top with another quarter of the apples and brown sugar mixture. Lightly pat the apples into the batter.
• Repeat with the remaining cake pan, batter, apples and brown sugar mixture.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes slightly, then invert them onto a rack to cool completely.
• For the cinnamon buttercream: Add the butter, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on slow to incorporate all the ingredients. If the frosting seems too thick, add the remaining tablespoon heavy cream. Turn the mixer on high and beat until the frosting is lighter and fluffier, 1 to 2 minutes. (You want the frosting to be a spreadable consistency.)
• To assemble the cake: place the first layer of cake on a cake stand. Drizzle with up to 3 tablespoons of caramel. Spread the top of the layer with all of the frosting. Place the other cake layer on top and drizzle with up to 3 tablespoons of caramel. Serve immediately.
• The cake keeps, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

CINNAMON BUN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease WELL 2 9" round cake pans.
• For Brown Sugar Layer combine ingredients and spread into each pan to within 2 inches of the edge.
• Combine all the ingredients for the cake and mix on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Pour one cup batter into separate bowl and divide remaining batter into the pans.
• For Brown Sugar Swirls combine the reserved batter with cinnamon and brown sugar. Drop by tablespoons onto the batter in the pans. Swirl, being careful not to stir up the brown sugar layer.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then remove and cool on racks.
• Place one cake sugar side up on plate and frost the center. Top with remaining cake, sugar side down and frost the rest of the cake.

GIANT CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 13-by-18-by-1-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment so that 2-inches overhang the long sides. Generously grease the parchment and unlined parts of the baking sheet with butter. Use a fine sieve to generously dust a large, clean kitchen towel confectioners' sugar until it is completely covered (about 1/2 cup). Set aside.
• Beat the eggs in large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until very thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and continue to beat until thick and the sugar has almost dissolved, 3 minutes. Beat in 2/3 cup water and the vanilla. Gradually add flour, beating just until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain. Pour into the prepared baking sheet and spread to the corners. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Immediately loosen the cake from sides of baking sheet using a paring knife and invert the cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off the parchment. Using a sharp Chef's or serrated knife, cut the hot cake crosswise into four 4-inch-wide strips. Flip each over so that the top of the cake is facing up. Push the strips together so that the cut sides are touching each other and the cake looks whole and uncut. Position the cake so that the long end is facing you. Using the towel to help you, carefully roll cake and towel, forming a tight log. Let log cool on rack for 3 minutes. This will allow the cake to roll without cracking or breaking. Carefully unroll the cake, and let sit on rack until completely cooled. The ends will be curled up and there might be surface cracks on the top of the cake and that's OK.
• For the frosting: Beat together the butter and cream cheese in large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup brown sugar and set aside. While beating on high, gradually add the remaining brown sugar (making sure to break up any clumps before you put it in the mixer), vanilla, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons cinnamon and salt until sugar is almost dissolved and no lumps remain, 3 to 5 minutes. If the frosting looks loose, chill for 30 minutes and continue to beat until thick and smooth. Frost the cake with half of the frosting, filling in any cracks and smoothing out the surface.
• Remove cake strips from towel and arrange on a clean work surface so that the strips are touching (short-end to short-end) to form a long cake strip running the length of your counter. Starting at one end, carefully roll-up 1 of the short ends tight enough so the cake sticks to the frosting but not so tight that the frosting gets squeezed out. Continue rolling-up each successive strip to form a fat roll. Carefully transfer to a cake plate or stand. Press on the sides of the cake to form an even and circular shape. Frost the sides of the cake with 1 cup of the remaining frosting. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Frost the sides of the cake again with the remaining frosting making sure it's about as thick as the inside layer of frosting.
• Mix together the reserved 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in small bowl. Pass through a course sieve to break up any lumps. Lightly sprinkle on top of the cake, making the frosting look like the cinnamon part of the cinnamon roll. Chill, uncovered for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• When ready to serve, stir powdered sugar and cream together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. The mixture should be thick but pourable, add another tablespoon of cream if mixture is too thick. Drizzle over chilled cake so that some of the cream mixture drips down the sides (but don't cover up too much of the top of the cake or you won't see the cinnamon swirl!)