Cake Slice November Cinnamon Pudding Cake

The Cake Slice bloggers have a real treat for November…a warm, sweet and spicy pudding cake with a big hit of cinnamon flavor and a yummy, gooey brown sugar sauce that magically shows up at the bottom of the cake pan after baking and makes a brilliant topping. Since I have been cutting back on sweets and want to really enjoy the ones I allow myself, I adapted the recipe slightly to include dried cranberries and some chopped walnuts because they go so well with cinnamon and the fall. Also I adjusted the fat content to make a slightly richer cake.

I enjoyed my serving immensely, but sent the rest (after Sweetie had enough) over to the intrepid volunteer firemen next door. They burn enough calories just playing basketball, to say nothing of all the fire drills they do, that a little cake will never show up on their thighs!

By the way, a pudding cake is a bit different from an iced or frosted cake. The cake gets spooned up into a serving dish and then you scoop up the sauce and drizzle it on top of the cake or put it next to the cake...you don't, in general, turn the cake out like an upside down cake because the sauce usually doesn't come out of the pan very easily. The baked pudding doesn't look like much, but there is hidden treasure below the cake...the gooey, sweet sauce!

If I made this again, I would bake it in a 9-inch square cake pan and for a shorter baking time (35 – 40 minutes and maybe even less than that) to keep a little more of the topping fluid instead of it being soaked into the cake so much. Beyond that, it was a wonderful cake, just perfect for the autumn. Try it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream as I did. Delicious!


November’s Cake: Cinnamon Pudding Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman {with slight adaptations})
Makes one 8-inch square pudding cake

For the Caramel Topping
1 cup plus 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
¾ cup water
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ tsp salt

For the Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten or ¼ cup egg substitute
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts

Method – Topping
Heat the oven to 350F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the brown sugar, water, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, then set aside to cool.

Method – Cake
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Add half of the milk and the vanilla. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and the rest of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full). Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert it onto a large rimmed serving platter and serve warm.

Let any leftover cake cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.