An easy recipe for cinnamon cake with step-by-step photos that is fast and simple to make, and perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Cinnamon Cake
I love a simple cinnamon cake at afternoon tea but, the truth is, I love it even more at breakfast.
The combination of vanilla cake topped with a generous sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon reminds me of eating a donut, especially when the cake is still warm from the oven.
While eating cake (or donuts) for breakfast, is not something the doctor would recommend, there’s something about this cake’s simplicity and plainness which lends it so well to a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.
Cinnamon Cake Recipe
This lovely cinnamon cake recipe comes from a baking compendium aptly titled, Baking, by Margaret Fulton, one of the foremost Australian authors I frequently turn to when I want something old-fashioned from my childhood.
And for something old-fashioned, it seems fitting to use one of my favourite discoveries of late: locally milled flour from Zurich with its vintage-inspired packaging.
I think it’s time to put on the kettle. Join me for a cuppa?
How to Make Cinnamon Cake
For a printable recipe, please scroll down.
Cinnamon Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Australian
An easy recipe for cinnamon cake that is fast and simple to make, and perfect for breakfast or dessert.
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RateIngredients
For the cake
- 1 egg
- 110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
For the topping
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) (without fan).
- Use some of the melted butter to lightly grease a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin.
- Separate the egg into separate bowls.
- Beat the eggwhite until it is stiff but not dry.
- Add the egg yolk, and gradually beat in the sugar.
- Gently whisk in the milk and vanilla extract.
- Whisk in the flour, baking powder and melted butter.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the cake is still hot, brush the melted butter over the hot cake.
- Make the topping by mixing together the sugar and ground cinnamon, and sprinkle generously over the cake.
- Serve warm or cool.
Kitchen Notes
I sometimes like to use a bundt pan to jazz up plain cakes. In which case, invert the cake onto a wire rack while it is still warm, but be careful because warm cakes can fall apart easily, especially if the cake tin has not been well-greased beforehand. Proceed as per the recipe above, brushing the melted butter over what should be the bottom of the cake which is now facing up.
RECIPE CREDIT
This recipe is adapted from Baking by Margaret Fulton.
OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Nutritional info per slice
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 21.6g
- Sodium: 23.2mg
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 41.6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4.4g
- Cholesterol: 47.3mg
Update
This recipe was first published on 4 September 2014. It has been updated with more comprehensive recipe notes.
This cake is dreamy!! So pretty!
Thank you! I owe it to my cake tin 😉
yum, I love cinnamon tea-cake (& cake for breakfast sounds like an awesome idea!)
Glad you’re with me on having cake for breakfast!
That is one beautiful tea cake, and I’m not even a tea an cake person. I’ve never heard of that author or cookbook, so thank you for introducing us!
Thank you! Margaret Fulton is a popular cookbook writer in Australia. I don’t think she is too well-known outside of Australia but she should be 🙂
Thanh, I wish I could join you for a cuppa and a slice of that delicious looking cake. Sometimes a cake pan does make a simple cake look sooooo elegant…..I have one question though, we rarely have full cream milk at home in the house so do you suppose I could use lait demi ecrémé instead?
xxx
I love using this particular cake tin, which might be why you’ve seen it a bit on this blog 😉 I’m not sure about using skim milk in this recipe but I’m sure it would be fine. We only ever have full-cream milk, although my husband sometimes buys skim milk by accident and I refuse to go near it! 😉
I want one of those beater to whip egg whites!! I saw it on Nigella Lawson!! And that little pot is so nice!!!
What rude I am, talking about the beater with that delicious cake!! It’s a very good breakfast cake!! I wast thinking (after months with a punished oven) about making breakfast cake next Sunday, and this is perfect for my boyfriend, even if mi idea was something about chocolate!!
Have a nice day, Thanh!!
Oh I bought this special whisk after I saw Nigella use it on one of her shows! I’m glad you noticed it too 😉 I rarely use it though because I often use the KitchenAid when I need to whip eggwhites. But because this recipe only needed one beaten eggwhite, it made more sense to do it by hand. This special whisk makes it so quick and easy!
Our oven was also not working for a few weeks, which was very hard for me because only then did I realise how often I used it, i.e. everyday! It’s been a while since I’ve baked a cake and I thought I would bake something my husband would like as he loves anything with cinnamon 🙂 Hope you are well!
This looks wonderful! I’m obsessed with cinnamon so this is right up my street!
My husband is also obsessed with cinnamon and always asks me to double the quantities when I am using it! Needless to say, I think he enjoyed this cake 🙂
I have never made a cinnamon tea cake before! I am totally loving the look and sound of it.. have to recreate the recipe. Pinned!
It’s a really simple and delicious cake. I hope you will enjoy it!
Thanh, I always gasp in delight at all the loveliness when I visit your blog. These photos are so beautiful. I LOVE the styling – it’s so crisp, clean, modern yet vintage due to that awesome packaging for the flour. And your cake is gorgeous. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with eating cake/donuts for breakfast, not in my world at least 😉
Aww thanks, Nancy! I love when I don’t have to do much to a photo because the food and the props speak for themselves 🙂 And yay for another donut-lover at breakfast!
Ooh, this sounds lovely. Looks stunning, too. Thanks for sharing.
Looks delicious! Some cinnamon tea cake does sound good
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Lovely cake. I am searching for a cake tin like the one shown. What brand is it and where can I purchase one? Thanks.
Hi Carla,
I bought the cake tin from E. Dehillerin in Paris. Whenever I see interesting cake tins on my travels, I try to buy them as a souvenir and hope there is enough space in my luggage! I’m not sure if they still have this cake tin at E. Dehillerin but it’s always worth checking specialty cake or kitchen shops to see what interesting cake tins they might have. Good luck!
Simple things like these are so often the best. I’m right there with you on the breakfast idea!
Hi Jeff,
Ha ha! I grew up eating a simple cinnamon tea cake like this one and the recipe has really stood the test of time!
You have such a pretty page. I like how you labeled each item instead of just giving us a list. This makes it easier for new bakers to see what we have!
Thank you! I always have fun doing the step-by-step photos 🙂
Such a simple but lovely recipe. Thank you!
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Wow, this is stunning! I want to try it out! Yum!
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I have never made a cinnamon tea cake before! Saved the recipe! I also love the white flour bag❤️ Unfortunately I can not buy it because I am living in germany.
Hallo Petra! I hope you will enjoy the recipe. The bag of flour you see in the photos is made by a flour mill in Zurich and sold at Coop supermarket. So if you are ever next door in Switzerland, hopefully you can find some 🙂
Hello! This recipe tastes AMAZING but I am a novice baker and had some issues with the cake rising – it came out quite flat (about 1.5cm high only!). I used a convection oven without consulting the handbook as you advised – could this affect the rising process or should I add more baking powder? Thank you in advance!
Love this cake! It’s delicious with coffee or tea! I even bought a special bundt pan to bake it in!
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Can I double the recipe?
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Hi Michelle,
Yes, you can double the recipe, but you will also need to use a larger cake pan and adjust the baking time accordingly. Enjoy the recipe!
Ok….I’m back again..I bought a bundt pan with a hole in the middle…I want one like yours..a regular cake pan but I can’t find any like that. Can you tell me where I can purchase one like yours. My cake came out really cute, like a little bundt cake but I like the way yours look.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I bought this cake pan on a trip to Paris many years ago from E. Dehillerin. I always like to buy interesting shapes as they are a fun way of jazzing up plain cakes. You might be able to find one similar online or perhaps plan a trip to Paris 😉