Yes, cinnamon lovers, I made us a cake. If you routinely list cinnamon as one of your favorite flavors when it comes to desserts—or any food, really—this Cinnamon Lover’s Cake might just be the cake of your dreams. AH! Congrats!!

When I first had the idea for this Cinnamon Lover’s Cake, I knew the cake itself needed to be just cinnamon. So here we’ve got an easy, one-bowl cake with a whole tablespoon of cinnamon in it. I couldn’t decide on frosting so, guess what. We get two! A classic cream cheese swirled with a brown sugar-cinnamon buttercream. Yes, yes, and yes.

The brown sugar-cinnamon frosting starts with cooking brown sugar and a little water in a saucepan until the brown sugar melts. Once it cools, it goes into the frosting along with (wait for it) more cinnamon. So just make sure to set aside a little time to let the brown sugar mixture cool.

The result is a soft and fluffy cake that’s perfect for a cozy night in, or a little second breakfast with a cup of coffee, or as a celebratory cake for the cinnamon lover in your life.

Happy baking! 🤎

More Cinnamon Recipes

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Maple Spice Cake
Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
Cinnamon Roll Waffles

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Cinnamon Lover's Cake

Tender cinnamon cake layers are topped with alternating cream cheese and brown sugar-cinnamon frostings.

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 1 25

Servings: 12

Ingredients

Cinnamon Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Frosting

⅓ cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp water
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until all ingredients are incorporated, 1-2 minutes.
Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until cakes are golden brown and set in the center. (Test by inserting a toothpick into the center of each cake layer. If it comes out clean, they're done!)
Let cakes cool in pans for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed.
Add milk and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Transfer frosting to a piping bag with an open round tip (or just snip the end off of the piping bag).

To make up the brown sugar-cinnamon frosting:

Add brown sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally until sugar is melted. Remove from heat and cool completely.
When brown sugar syrup is cool, beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (you can re-use the same bowl as the cream cheese frosting if you’d like!) until creamy.
Add cinnamon, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and ingredients are completely combined. Mix in the brown sugar syrup.
Transfer frosting to a piping bag with an open round tip (or just snip the end off of the piping bag).

Assembly:

Level cake layers and place one on a cake stand or plate. Pipe alternating circles of cream cheese and brown sugar-cinnamon frosting. Place the second cake layer on top. Pipe alternating lines of frosting around the outside of the cake and on top. Use an offset spatula or bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake.
Serve cake or store cake in the refrigerator if not serving immediately. Let cake come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.