Caramel-Glazed Cinnamon Cake

This dessert is great for when you want cake but don’t have the time or desire to make a big layer cake. Warm cinnamon pairs nicely with the sweet caramel glaze.

Caramel-Glazed Cinnamon Cake
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1¼ cups whole buttermilk
  • Creamy Caramel Glaze (recipe follows)
  • ¾ cup chopped salted cashews
Creamy Caramel Glaze
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Spread batter into prepared pan.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Pour warm Creamy Caramel Glaze onto hot cake, and sprinkle with cashews. Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
Creamy Caramel Glaze
  1. In a large saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool for 10 minutes.
Notes
KITCHEN TIP - Using brown sugar makes these toppings easy and quick to cook. And since they don’t involve traditional methods of caramelizing granulated sugar, it’s okay to stir them while cooking.