I love Cinnamon

I love cinnamon; in my coffee, on my iced cream, in my desserts. So, I had this idea of a cinnamon cake with a vanilla frosting, almost like a cake version of a Cinnamon Bun. When I presented the idea to some friends over drinks, I got an outstanding response of, "Why haven't you made these yet?!?" Therefore, yesterday I went to work. I made the cake in cupcake form for taste testing purposes and easy portability. The response to these was orgasmic; as in people found no words, but made some weird noises which made things momentarily uncomfortable for me. Seeing as I haven't posted a recipe in a long time, I figured I would go ahead and give one of my own (well, the frosting I got from the cupcake project, but that is not important lol).

The great thing about this cake is that it is a delicious white cake that is slightly adjusted with a little bit of cinnamon.

1 cup sugar
1/2 butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup almond milk

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh ground cinnamon (to taste; I probably would not try more than 2 tsp, it might be overpowering instead of subtly amazing)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream sugar and butter then beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Stir in almond milk. When batter is smooth, stir in cinnamon. For cupcakes, bake for about  22 minutes; for cake 30 to 40 minutes in a 9x13 baking pan. Cake will bounce at touch when finished. Allow cake to cool before frosting (duh). I was never one to use a wire rack in the cooling process; I tend to transfer from pan to plate after about 5 to 10 minutes. 

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon almond milk

In a mixer, combine sugar and butter until blended and creamy. Then add vanilla bean paste and milk and continue to mix for 1 minute. Add more confectioner's sugar for desired consistency. I had trouble finding vanilla bean paste the first time I made this frosting; I looked everywhere and finally found it at The Fresh Market.

With this recipe, I came across something that was strictly a mythology to me; two yolks in one egg. It amazed me after cracking the egg into the bowl when 2 yolks appeared; I was half tempted to leave it in, but alas, I scooped the extra yolk out and said to myself as I dropped it in the sink, "They would've been twin little chickees."  Enjoy!