I Just Baked Because I Love You

Today is Different Colored Eyes Day. Hubby has two different colored eyes. One is a blue that sometimes looks almost a smoky gray. The other is hazel, waffling between shades of light brown to olive green.

What does this have to do with baking? I love Hubby. Sometimes, although not nearly as often as I would like, I get to bake something just because. It’s not a birthday or family gathering or holiday. It’s just an ordinary day. Cakes make ordinary days feel a little special, a little magical. And there’s something about baking the cake rather than buying a cake that makes it even more special. While home baked cakes might not have that Wow looks of a professional cake, and they might lean like the Tower of Pisa, the love baked into those cakes more than makes up for any imperfections.

Hubby has two cakes that are at the top of his list of favorites. One is a marble cake with chocolate frosting. The other is a spice cake. Traditionally spice cakes are frosted with a cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese frostings typically aren’t as sweet as a buttercream. Spice cakes, carrot cakes, Red Velvets all lend themselves beautifully to cream cheese frostings. Hubby is not a fan of cream cheese anything. With that in mind, I decided to try a Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting. The kiss of cinnamon in the frosting complimented the spice of the cake beautifully.

Happy Baking!

Spice Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
Spice Cake
3 Eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 box Spice Cake Mix
3/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Milk

Heat oven to 325-degrees. Grease 2 round cake pans with butter. Shake flour into the pans just for a light coat, tapping out any excess flour.

Let eggs come to room temperature. Add eggs and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together for about 1 minutes.

Add cake mix, water and milk. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes.

Divide batter between the 2 pans. Tap on counter to release any trapped air.

Place pans in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Rotate pans, bake an additional 10 minutes. Check cake for doneness, continue to bake another 2 minutes or so if necessary.

Remove cake pans from oven. Set pans on a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cake to release, let cool completely, right-side-up on racks.

Make the frosting while the cakes cool.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
1 cup Butter, softened
2-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons Milk
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
Additional Cinnamon for dusting

Cream butter with vanilla in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, sift powdered sugar.

Add sifted sugar to the creamed butter 1 cup at a time, whipping until incorporated before adding next cup. Scrap down the sides as needed. Once 2 cups of sugar have been blended, add milk, whip well. Continue to add sugar until all the sugar has been added. Add cinnamon, whip one last time, scraping down the sides as needed.

To Assemble: Cut the dome from 1 cake later. Center cake, cut side down, on the center of a cake platter.

Cut a large piece of parchment paper. Cut paper into four squares. Carefully slip paper under the cake to line the platter.

Frost top and side of first cake layer. Top with second cake. Frost top and sides of second layer. Frost sides for a seamless appearance.

Remove paper from around the cake. Touch up frosting as needed.

Sprinkle additional cinnamon over the cake.

Slice, serve and enjoy.