High Altitude Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

Naked layers of soft, fluffy brown sugar cinnamon cake, coated in cinnamon sugar and filled with pretty piped chocolate buttercream. Last week’s naked cinnamon cake with cinnamon buttercream was such an instant hit, that I thought you all would love this high altitude chocolate cinnamon cake that tastes just like a churro dipped in rich chocolate.

You might also these high altitude recipes for toasted hazelnut coffee cake, vanilla ginger layer cake, and chai tea spice cake with honey biscoff buttercream.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Chocolate + Cinnamon. With the chocolate buttercream and the fluffy, cinnamon sugar crusted cinnamon cake, today’s dessert is reminiscent of a cinnamon doughnut with chocolate. Or a churro with chocolate sauce. Or chocolate snickerdoodles. I just love this combination of sweet and spicy cinnamon with rich, creamy chocolate.

Smaller Size. Today’s recipe is for a 6-inch, three layer cake, so it’s the perfect size for a small family. See the recipe variations section below for making a larger version. Note that today’s three-layer cake recipe uses the same amount of cake batter as my original two-layer cinnamon cake. With the batter divided between three pans instead of two, the cake layers will be a little thinner.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Cinnamon Cake

• Flour. For today’s recipe, I used cake flour, rather than all-purpose flour, for a softer, lighter, fluffier texture. The flour gives the cake structure and strength.
• Sugar. I used both granulated sugar and light brown sugar for sweetness and moisture. The brown sugar complements the flavor of the cinnamon.
• Baking Powder. Leavening agent.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Spices. Cinnamon and vanilla extract adds flavor and warmth.
• Eggs. An egg, plus an extra egg white, adds structure to the cake.
• Whole Milk. Adds moisture and fat for a tender, rich texture.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. The acidity in the vinegar tenderizes the cake crumb. Instead of the milk + vinegar, you could also use buttermilk.
• Butter + Oil. A combination of melted butter and vegetable oil adds moisture and flavor to the cake.

Cinnamon Sugar

• Butter. You’ll need to brush a little melted butter around the sides of the cake, to give the cinnamon sugar something to stick to.
• Cinnamon Sugar. The coating of cinnamon sugar gives the cake a sweet and spicy crunch, for a texture that’s just like a churro or a cinnamon sugar donut.

Chocolate Buttercream

• Butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter, and then add a little salt, but you can also use salted butter if you prefer.
• Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
• Cocoa Powder. Use unsweetened, Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
• Meringue Powder. An optional ingredient, but it helps to stabilize the buttercream.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of three 6-inch cake pans (for three thinner layers) or two 6-inch cake pans (for two thicker layers) with non-stick baking spray.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, then whisk until evenly distributed.
• Separately, whisk together the egg, egg white, milk, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, melted butter, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk just until moistened and combined.

• Divide the batter between the pans, and bang the pans on the counter a few times to pop the air bubbles.
• Bake the cakes for about 15-20 minutes (for three thinner layers) or 20-23 minutes (for two thicker layers), until a cake tester comes out clean.

• Set the pans on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely. Remove the cakes from the pans, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Chilling them will help to tighten the cake crumb, making it easier to coat them in the cinnamon sugar without breaking the cake.

Cinnamon Sugar

• Remove the plastic wrap from the cakes, and use a pastry brush to very lightly brush the sides of the cakes with the melted butter – this will give the cinnamon sugar something to stick to.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Gently dip the sides of the cakes in the cinnamon sugar to coat the edges. (I sprinkled a little on top of each cake layer, too.)

Buttercream

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
• With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, meringue powder and salt, mixing until combined. Add the vanilla, and increase the speed to medium (#6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer). Whip for 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down several times.
• Turn the speed down to “stir” and mix for 1 minute to pop any large air bubbles.

• Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with the buttercream.
• Place one of the cakes on a cake stand or cake plate and pipe the buttercream on top of the cake. Repeat with the second and third layers of cake.
• Sprinkle the top of the cake with cinnamon sugar.

TIP: You can make the buttercream layers thicker, like how I piped fluffy swirls between the cake layers in my original cinnamon cake recipe. If you pipe thinner layers of buttercream, you’ll likely have leftover buttercream, which you can freeze and use for another cake.

Recipe Variations

8-Inch Cake. For a larger 8-inch cake that feeds up to 16 people, double the cake recipe and bake the batter in three 8-inch cake pans. Increase the buttercream by 33%.

Sheet Cake. Bake the batter in one 9-inch square pan, or double the cake recipe and bake it in a 9×13 inch pan. Brush the top of the cake with the melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Instead of buttercream, serve squares of cake with dollops of lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream and homemade chocolate syrup, fudge sauce, or warm ganache.

Chocolate Cake + Cinnamon Buttercream. Instead of cinnamon cake with chocolate buttercream, try pairing this chocolate cake with cinnamon buttercream.

Cover with Cinnamon Sugar. Instead of the naked cake layers, you can frost the cake with the buttercream, then press the cinnamon sugar all over the buttercream, like on this vanilla ginger cake. Top the cake with swirls of buttercream and squares of dark chocolate.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe with all purpose flour instead of cake flour?

You can use either all purpose flour or cake flour, but the cake flour will yield a softer, fluffier cake.

What kind of cocoa powder do you use for buttercream?

I talk about my favorite types of Dutch processed cocoa powder in my chocolate cake recipe.

Will this recipe work if I don’t live at high altitude?

Please see my FAQs for guidelines on adjusting recipes for various altitudes.

How should I store this cake?

Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can this cake be frozen?

I don’t advice freezing the cake with the cinnamon sugar, since freezing and thawing can cause condensation that will melt the sugar and make it sticky. You can, however, bake the cake layers in advance, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them until you’re ready to assemble and fill the cake.

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