chocolate cinnamon cake

This is a simple cake for when you just want something chocolate that’s quick and easy. You can omit the cinnamon if you prefer a more traditional chocolate cake.

You can even double or triple the recipe if you want to make it a layer cake. You can also double it for a 10-inch Bundt cake pan.

And it’s a perfect do-ahead cake, because it tastes good, (perhaps even better) on the second or third day, although waiting a day or two is not quick or easy!

chocolate canela cake (adapted slightly from this recipe on Food Network)

ingredients

unsalted butter, soft but not liquid, for greasing pan

2 Tablespoons sugar, for coating pan

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon Dutch process cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon ground canela (Mexican cinnamon), or ground cinnamon of your choice

1 cup +  3/8 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter (6 ounces, or 1 and 1/2 sticks)

1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla, or other type of pure vanilla extract

2 extra large or jumbo eggs

1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee granules, dissolved in 1 Tablespoon buttermilk

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk

light dusting of confectioners sugar or cocoa

method

Preheat oven to 350. Grease pan with unsalted butter that is soft but not completely melted. Coat with the 2 Tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, into a medium bowl and stir with a wire whisk to blend and combine thoroughly. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, place the (1 cup + 3/8 cup) sugar and the butter, and with a hand held mixer, blend or cream until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, blending well, then the eggs (one at a time), and the espresso/buttermilk mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Alternating between the flour mixture and the (1/2 cup + 2 T) buttermilk, add 1/2 of the flour mixture, blend, scrape sides down, add 1/2 of the buttermilk, blend and scrape, repeat, ending with the last third of the flour mixture. Blend always on low, and do not over mix.

Once adequately mixed, scrape into prepared tin, and bake for 35 minutes, or until toothpick test comes out clean. If making in a Bundt pan, increase time to 50-60 minutes, and decrease heat to 325 degrees F.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around edges to loosen, if needed. Flip onto a rack, and re-invert to  ride side up. Cool completely before dusting with confectioners sugar, or cocoa, if desired. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.