This high altitude mini cinnamon sugar cake has two naked layers of soft, fluffy brown sugar cinnamon cake, coated in cinnamon sugar and filled with coffee buttercream. And the small size is just enough for 2-4 people.
You might also love these mini cake recipes for pumpkin cake, carrot cake and chocolate mug cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Small Size. Bakers everywhere have been loving my mini cake recipes, and this mini cinnamon sugar cake is such a cozy and delicious dessert to make for a special occasion. When you want to make dessert, but you don’t need too much leftover, a mini cake is a wonderful option for any occasion, birthday or anniversary. This little cake yields four slices, so it’s just enough for a few people to share. I baked my mini cinnamon cake in two 4-inch cake pans, but you can also divide the batter between two 6-inch pans for thinner layers, or just one 6-inch pan.
Reader Favorite Recipe. When I shared my original brown sugar cinnamon cake a couple of years ago, you all just loved the flavor and moist texture, the look of the naked layers coated in cinnamon sugar, and the pretty piped swirls of buttercream. People compare the flavor of this cake to snickerdoodles, churros and sugar coated baked donuts. And now you can make this incredible cake in mini size with today’s scaled down recipe.
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
- 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. You’ll also need powdered sugar for the buttercream.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Spices. Cinnamon and vanilla extract adds flavor and warmth.
- Egg. Adds moisture and strength.
- 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. You’ll also brush the baked cake layers with a little melted butter, to give the cinnamon sugar something to stick to.
- Espresso Powder. To give the buttercream a little coffee flavor, I added instant espresso powder. This is totally optional, and can be left out.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of two 4-inch cake pans 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, 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 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Set the pans on a cooling rack, cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out of the pans to cool completely before assembling and frosting.
Cinnamon Sugar
- 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, brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently dip the sides of the cakes in the cinnamon sugar to coat the edges.
Buttercream
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and cinnamon, mixing until combined. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla, espresso powder and cream, stirring until the espresso powder is dissolved. Add the mixture to the buttercream.
- Increase the speed to medium (#6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer). Whip for several minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down several times.
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with the buttercream.
- Place one of the cakes on a small plate. Pipe the buttercream on the cake, starting at the center of the cake and swirling around towards the edge. Place the second cake layer on top, and finish piping the buttercream on top of the cake.
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
You can use either all purpose flour or cake flour, but the cake flour will yield a softer, fluffier cake.
You can also use two 6 inch cake pans (although your cake layers will be thin), or just one 6 inch cake pan for a single layer mini cake.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
I don’t advise 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.
The mini gingerbread house and snowflake cookies are almond sugar cookies that I made and dipped in vanilla royal icing.
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Mini Cinnamon Sugar Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 4-inch Round Cake Pans (x2)
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-Held)
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ¼ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Buttercream
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp meringue powder, optional
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch coarse Kosher salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 tsp cream
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of two 4-inch cake pans 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, 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 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Set the pans on a cooling rack, cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out of the pans to cool completely before assembling and frosting.
Cinnamon Sugar
- 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, brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently dip the sides of the cakes in the cinnamon sugar to coat the edges.
Buttercream
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and cinnamon, mixing until combined. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla, espresso powder and cream, stirring until the espresso powder is dissolved. Add the mixture to the buttercream.
- Increase the speed to medium (#6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer). Whip for several minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down several times.
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with the buttercream.
- Place one of the cakes on a small plate. Pipe the buttercream on the cake, starting at the center of the cake and swirling around towards the edge. Place the second cake layer on top, and finish piping the buttercream on top of the cake.
Could you please let me know how to adjust the recipe to regular altitude
Please see my FAQs: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/baking-faqs/