The Cake Recipe My Grandma Made for All Our Family Togethers

Author capitolrowia Reading 4 min Views 15 Published by February 10, 2025

Photo:

Sara Haas

There are some things that grandmas do better than anyone else, a superpower that no one can touch. For my grandma, it was her knack for baking. She grew up on a farm where she milked cows and fed chickens. She knew the value of food, but also the joy. She loved to cook, but baking seemed to bring her the most joy. As a kid, I enjoyed plenty of her delicious sweets, but her cinnamon cake was one of my favorites.

Many of my grandmother’s baking recipes are simple and lean heavily on pantry staples. Limited ingredients didn’t limit her creativity though. Instead, she found dozens of ways to measure, combine and bake the basics into everything from cookies to bread! I loved watching her use those superpowers in the kitchen. She moved with purpose, but also with love, tenderly weighing and scooping ingredients so that nothing was wasted. It’s a beautiful memory that I try to channel with my baking too.

Her cinnamon cake was a staple at all of our family get-togethers. It wasn’t glamorous or fancy, but the spongy yellow cake with cinnamon-sugar topping was a favorite among the cousins. The recipe makes one, eight-inch cake, so she often made a few to feed her little crew. It was best when she served it warm, but we also loved it at room temperature, served with a bit of homemade whipped cream. It’s cozy, delicious, and unpretentious. Here’s how to make it.

My Grandma’s Cinnamon Cake Recipe

Sara Haas

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) whole milk, room temperature

Topping:

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, using the whisk attachment of a stand or handheld mixer, whisk the butter with the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined.

Turn the speed to low and add a third of the flour mixture. Once that’s fully combined, add half of the milk mixture. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, then add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low to combine then add the remaining the milk, followed by the remaining flour mixture.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake 5 minutes. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top then return cake to the oven and bake until the top is golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

My Grandma’s Cinnamon Cake Tips & Variations

Make sure your eggs, milk, and butter are all at room temperature before you start making the recipe. Room temperature dairy creates the best emulsion, adding lift and airiness to this cake.
Be sure to prep your pan accordingly. A quick coating of nonstick cooking spray is a good start—but to make removal easier, I recommend adding a parchment round to the bottom of your 8-inch pan.
Don’t rush it at the end. You’ll be tempted to dump the flour mixture and milk together and just be done, but take the few extra minutes to separately combine them. Doing so will result in a cake that’s light and soft, versus compact and dense!

The Breakfast My 101-Year-Old Grandma Has Eaten Every Day for Decades

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