Monday, April 1, 2013

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Jan here, just waiting for spring! Don't you love spring?

We don't have flowers...yet...but we do have these early signs that the yearly promise will be fulfilled:

Calves!




Geese migrating!




May book releases :)




And of course, don't forget puppies! Red-winged blackbirds hanging on the cattails! Sunshine!



I don't care if there's still snow in the yard, spring is definitely coming!






I tried a new recipe this week - I recently "liked" Cheryl's Pampered Chef Biz page on Facebook, and she shared this Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake. I took it to Bible Study Wednesday night, and it got nine thumbs up!

This is a gooey, buttery, almost pastry-like cake that is absolutely delicious! Expect to wow your friends :)

Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake (Pampered Chef recipe)


Ingredients:

For the batter -
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the cinnamon swirl (think Cinnabon....mmmmm.....):
1 cup butter, soft to the point of being almost melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla


In a large bowl, mix all the batter ingredients together except the butter. Once mixed, pour the melted butter slowly into the batter, stirring as you go (I had my mixer running on low as I poured the butter in). Pour the batter into a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl, and drop onto the batter, then swirl with a knife.





Bake at 350° (thanks, Ruthy!) for 30-40 minutes. Mine took the whole 40 minutes to become brown and done in the center. Don't try the toothpick test for doneness - the cinnamon swirl will remain sticky. Look for slightly browned batter on the tops and sides.



After the cake cools slightly, but while it's still warm, drizzle the glaze on top. 

Yes, I put this picture in twice...it's that good....

And the best thing about this recipe? It only took a few minutes to put together! (And that's no April fool!) Win/win!


16 comments:

  1. Ah, Jan, cinnamon and sugar in a cake are my big weakness. I'm off this week and this might be just the thing to fuel my writing mornings (forget about the fact that I said I was cutting back on sugar).
    I think I might try adding some chopped walnuts to the cinnamon sugar mixture since I love sugary, cinnamony walnuts in my cake.

    YUM!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mmmmm...walnuts...

      I thought about adding them, but since I was making this for a group, I didn't know if there'd be allergies.

      But definitely. Yes, they'd be delicious!

      Enjoy your break!

      Delete
    2. My husband will love me forever if I make this. I'm not kidding. Cinnamon coffee cakes/rolls are about the only sweet thing he eats. Jan, I must try this but I shouldn't be eatin' it!!!!

      (looks around kitchen... spies carrot cake... homemade bread... Easter basket... jello cups in fridge.... turkey, ham.....realizes she's already DOOMED...)

      Which means I should just make this and enjoy!!!

      Lovely recipe!

      Delete
  2. Oh, wow!! And no rolling out dough or anything complicated! I love this!

    Will definitely try this. I LOVE cinnamon rolls. Walking by Cinnabon a the mall is pure torture. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is so buttery and delicious, it tastes like those expensive flaky cinnamon pastries you buy at upscale French bakeries...but so simple.

      I might have to make some more today....

      Delete
  3. Ohhhhhhh -- I have to try this! I'll do a test bake first (such a sacrifice) and then make them for our parent volunteer breakfast at school!

    So excited that the May LI books have been released online. I'll put my order in today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! I love to see a good sacrifice when it comes to trying new recipes. :)

      Delete
    2. We always knew Kav was noble, kind and brave. What other kind of person would do a test bake on a recipe like this?

      Delete
    3. Kav = kind and vivacious

      It was the only "V" word that came to mind, must keep baby alive!!!!

      :)

      Kav, you take self-sacrifice to new levels. I salute you!

      Delete
  4. Oooh, yummy!!! And that first hairy animal scared me. Is that a bison? Yikes!

    I swear I saw your book at Walmart but I must have been halucinating. :( When I went back to get it, it was gone! I blame my no-sugar diet for messing with my eyeballs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Virginia, that really is a bison. And calf.

      And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your distance from that pair. Neither predator nor prey, they know how to defend themselves. And they can run faster than you.

      But, viewed from the safety of your car on the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, they're a sight to see!

      And you must have been hallucinating about seeing my book...although, I have received my first fan mail :), so it must be available somewhere!

      Delete
    2. Jan, it must have gone out by direct mail to the Reader's Service.... I love that so many wonderful readers get us HAND-DELIVERED to them monthly!!!

      YAY THEM!!!!

      Delete
  5. Jan, this looks amazing! I MUST try this. Yum! I love just about anything cinnamon.

    You know, I'm beginning to think Ruthy has something in her contract about her books releasing the same times as the rest of us at the YB. Mine is a September release and she's got one coming out then too. Such a prolific little Yank, isn't she?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She certainly keeps herself busy. Or disciplined. Or both.

      Wouldn't it be a hoot if all of us had a book release in the same month sometime? Of course Ruthy, the overachiever, would manage to have two books release that month....

      Delete
    2. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

      You guys are funny.

      I am so honored to have books comin' out wi' youse!!! Isn't it just a wonderful thing??? And Mia Ross has a December book coming out with me too, so that rocks! And my October release with Summerside Press "Christmas in the City" is the historical half of the book... Yes, you heard that right, I wrote a historical.

      And loved it, LOL! Anna Schmidt (so talented, I stand in her shadows with great modesty!) wrote the present day novella for the book. And it's absolutely wonderful... My novella is "Red Kettle Christmas", about a young single mother post WWII who's ringing the bell outside Macy's between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 1947.... What a fun project!

      Delete
  6. Oh, my gosh. This looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete