Cinnamon Layer Cake with Vanilla Paste Icing

This pretty little Cinnamon Layer Cake is perfect for a special occasion. It dresses up the recipe for a basic Sour Cream Coffee Cake, stacking small layers of cinnamon laced cake with a drizzle of richly flavored Vanilla Paste Icing.

A Fresh View of Vanilla

Do you use vanilla extract or vanilla paste in your recipes? Until recently I baked only with vanilla extract. I occasionally used a whole vanilla bean, when specifically asked for, just not very often. Vanilla paste was something I had scarcely given any thought at all. If I had, I would probably have considered it an unnecessary extravagance.

But then, one day, I was ordering spices from The Spice House. Their descriptions were so wonderfully vivid they made the flavor of every fragrant spice and extract come alive. Everything sounded so appealing. And I was running low of vanilla extract anyway…

So, while I was ordering the spices I need for seasonal baking, I went ahead and bought some of the vanilla paste too. I thought it was something I should know about, something fun to try. I wasn’t really expecting all that much. Of course vanilla is quite delicious but, by the time it arrived, the moment had passed. I kind of put it on a shelf and forgot about it.

A New Shape for a Favorite Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Then this weekend I had a birthday cake to make. Tired of the same old same old, I wanted to try something new. The birthday boy likes Cinnamon Coffee Cake. There were times when I have made a plain old square pan of his favorite coffee cake for his birthday. Lately, however, I am drawn to six-inch layer cakes in a big way. So I wondered: Would a Sour Cream Cinnamon Coffee Cake make a nice layer cake for a birthday celebration?

I decided to give it a try. After asking my human calculator, I was informed that the area of two 6-inch round cakes is just a bit less that the area of one that is a 9-inch square. That bit of good news meant I didn’t need to adapt the recipe I was using in any way. All I needed to do was prepare my 6-inch round pans and divide the batter between them.

A 6-Inch Cinnamon Layer Cake

I put one-quarter of the batter in one pan and another quarter in the second pan. The batter is stiff so I used a rubber spatula to spread it evenly to the edges of the pans. Then I sprinkled 1/4 of the topping over the batter in each pan before dividing the remaining batter evenly between the two pans. I dropped it by spoonfuls over the cinnamon mixture and gently smoothed it to the sides. When it was fairly even, I sprinkled the rest of the topping mixture over the two layers.

The cake smelled great as it baked. It rose and grew slightly golden. In the end, our calculations were correct. Despite the differences in pan size, the two 6-inch cakes baked in roughly the same amount of time given for one 9-inch square pan.

When the cakes tested done, I set them on a wire rack to cool. As soon as I was able to do it comfortably, I removed the cakes from their pans to cool completely. Those little cinnamon strewn layers looked fantastic. If not for the special occasion, I would probably serve one layer with coffee, for breakfast or snack time, then freeze the other for later use. This time, however, I wanted a layer cake so I resisted digging in.

Vanilla Paste Makes a Delicious Icing

Of course I needed some icing to assemble the cake. That’s where the vanilla paste came into play. As I gathered milk, butter and some powdered sugar, I noticed that neglected jar of vanilla paste sitting there on the cabinet shelf. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to test it and see if it added anything special to the flavor. I opened the jar and added the same amount of paste as I would have vanilla extract. I blended the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until the lumps dissolved and the icing had a consistency that would drizzle thickly.

Finally I grabbed a pretty serving plate from the cabinet and set the first layer in the middle. Next I drizzled one-third of the icing over the top of the layer, focusing most of it about an inch or so from the outer edge of the layer. I let some drip down the side. Then, wasting no time, I settled the second layer on top of the first and drizzled the remaining icing back and forth over the top, in a sort of rotating star pattern, making sure some icing ran down the sides while some also puddled on the center top. When I finished, I sprinkled the top with a little cinnamon sugar. You could also add some chopped nuts if you like. Birthday candles are another optional element.

In the end, my Cinnamon Layer Cake with Vanilla Paste Icing turned out to be everything I wanted and more. The addition of the icing elevated the cake and added to the festive quality of both the look and taste. It dressed up the cake, held the layers together and added a beautiful boost of unmistakably rich vanilla flavor.

Cinnamon Layer Cake with Vanilla Icing

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

This pretty little Cinnamon Layer Cake dresses up a basic Sour Cream Coffee Cake by stacking small layers with a ribbon of streusel and drizzling with a rich Vanilla Paste Icing.

Ingredients

• Cinnamon Topping:

• 1/4 cup sugar (50g)

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (67g)

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

• Cake Batter:

• 2 cups flour (240g)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (113g)

• 1 cup sugar (200g)

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Vanilla Icing:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (170g)

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I used vanilla paste)

• 1 teaspoon melted butter

• Cinnamon sugar and/or chopped nuts, if desired

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Grease two 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside. (If you don’t have this size use one 10-inch springform pan or 9-inch square pan. The baking time may vary slightly so watch carefully.)
• In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the Cinnamon Topping. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
• Using a rubber spatula or broad butter knife, spread half of the batter in the two prepared cake pans. Sprinkle half of the topping over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the topping layer in dollops. Spread lightly. Sprinkle the remaining topping over all.
• Bake at 325F for 40 – 45 minutes, or until cakes test done. Cool on a wire rack.
• When cakes are cool prepare the Vanilla Icing: Stir powdered sugar with wire whisk. Add milk and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Adjust amount of milk if necessary, stirring in a few drops at a time to reach the desired consistency for drizzling.
• Drizzle one-third of the Vanilla Icing over bottom layer and stack the remaining layer on top. Drizzle remaining icing over top layer, allowing icing to drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with a little cinnamon sugar and/or chopped nuts, if desired.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• This cake has a thick batter so you will need to actively spread it to the edges of the cake pan. I drop the top layer of batter on top of the layer of filling by teaspoonfuls and then spread it out with a wide bladed butter knife. Spreading the top layer takes an especially light touch to fully cover the topping in the middle. This is perfectly normal. Despite the thick batter the baked cake is deliciously moist.
• The Vanilla Paste made this icing extra delicious. All the same, if you don’t have Vanilla Paste, you can substitute Vanilla Extract for similar results.
• This cake can be made in two 6-inch round cake pans or one 9-inch square pan. Even if you aren’t making a layer cake the 6-inch size works well for a small family. With two 6-inch round cakes you can eat one and share one with a neighbor. Or wrap the second 6-inch coffee cake and freeze it.