Easy Cinnamon Flop

By Addie

"Except for the the milk and small amount in the egg, the cake itself has very little fat and using low-fat milk will keep the fat to a minimum, I have stated the egg as optional, I strongly suggest to add it in for a more cake-like texture -- If you are looking for a fancy cake to serve then this is not it however for the ease of this cake it is darn good and makes a great weekend brunch cake, it's like a combination of a cake and cinnamon bun all in one, ridiculously simple to make as it's all mixed by hand and takes like 5 minutes to throw together, try adding in some chopped strawberries, apples or blueberries, raisins or dried cranberries, this recipe is a blank canvas, so go ahead and add in fruit, nuts chocolate chips whatever you wish, and to kick this up a notch drizzle Kittencal's Easy Creamy White Glaze on top :) --- servings are only estimated" By Kittencalskitchen

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar (add in more for a sweeter taste)
• 1 1/4 cups milk or half-and-half
• 1-2 teaspoon vanilla (optional) or almond extract (optional)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 large egg (optional)
• ..................................................
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, more if desired
• 1-2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• chopped walnuts (optional) or pecans (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish, or two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans (although the batter will seem like it will fit into only one 8 or 9-inch pan, this flop rises very high and will run over the sides if baked in just one pan).

In a bowl mix the 2 cups flour, 1-1/4 cups white sugar, milk, vanilla or almond extract, baking powder, pinch of salt and egg (if using) until just combined careful not to overmix. Pour into prepared baking pan/s. Generously spread brown sugar and cinnamon on top. If desired sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans over top. Drizzle melted butter over top.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes for 8 or 9-inch round cake pan, and about 30 minutes for a 13 x 9-inch pan.

Personal Notes:
I like the suggestion for nuts and I like the butter-drizzling method. The cake is very fluffy, and the sweet buttery cinnamony topping tastes like something from a bakery. I used "homemade" half and half (a mix of half cream and half 2% milk), which worked well. I added a touch of vanilla extract. Very good recipe. I like it better cold or at room temperature, which is nice because you don't have to worry about making this right when you want to eat it to get the best flavor.
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REVIEWS: (612)

The longest that it took me while putting this together was clipping my nails. That is because I mixed the batter with my bare hands to avoid overmixing. You see when Kitten's giving instructions I listen VERY carefully and seriously who wouldn't when the results are this great and consistent every time. I followed the recipe to a T and could not believe what a darned good cake I'd just baked. I also contemplated topping it with kitten's glaze but it seemed like too much work and am actually glad because the level of sweetness is just right. Now all I have to do is make a dry mix of the ingredients and apply to the Guiness Book of World Record for throwing together the fastest, tastiest cake on the planet!

Followed the recipe exactly, but it just didn't do it for me. My friend's kids loved it. I added raisins to the batter and baked it in a 9x13 pyrex for 40 minutes and it still baked a bit unevenly. Did about 1 cup sugar and it came out sufficiently sweet. Not bad, but I wouldn't make it again. It's hard the next day, so I microwaved it for about 20 seconds and it was decent, though not as good as when it first comes out of the oven, of course. Will look for other Kittencal recipes to try

When this turns out right, it's great. But the last time I made it, not changing a thing, it had the texture of a wet sponge...tough, diificult to cut, not very appealing. I probably won't make it again because I need recipes I can rely on and this one is too unpredictable. But thanks anyway.

Oh my word, this is good! It really is a (nearly) guilt-free substitute for cinnamon rolls. I can't get over the texture and flavor without all the work. It is sweet enough without additional sugar- could even cut it some and it would be good. Would be even closer to the real thing with a drizzle of icing on top. Yum!

I have made this cake twice now, and I honestly can't figure out what the problem is. I mixed the batter just enough to be called batter [muffin consistency], blended the egg with the milk... my baking powder is in date... but this cake refuses to rise in my pan. It rose maybe a centimeter during baking, and the taste is nothing special. I added nutmeg the second time around along with a bit of cinnamon to the batter, but still I get this cake that has the consistency of eggy bread. Someone want to tell me what is so wrong with my kitchen that I can't make this simple recipe that everyone seems to love...?
PS. Evidently you need to use dark brown sugar for the topping to get good results, which would have been nice to know...


We thought it might be too good to be true, and it was! The cake was more the texture of a wet sponge and was really lacking in flavor. We wont be making it again, heck we probably wont even finish what is in the pan.

I hate to give a bad review, but this was horrible. The recipe was followed exactly so I don't know what went wrong. It turned out dry, chewy and flavorless. Kinda like a dry sponge.... I won't even waste time to try this again. Not one person here even remotely liked it and so it ended up in the trash. :o(

Lovely tasty and so simple! My teenage daughter just loves cinnamon, and this is just perfect for our Friday and Saturday get-together lazy breakfasts. The tip about adding vanilla and the egg make the finished result a little richer. Loved by all the family, Thanks KITTENCAL!!

Another great recipe! Previous reviews said the cake didn't rise or was heavy, please check the expiration date on your baking powder. Fresher is better.

Did not turn out. My hubby ate it as he does not like to waste. I don't know if it is operator error because sooo many people liked it. Followed instruction to the letter, even served it with homemade chunky caramel apple sause. The flavors were all good but was dry and tough.

We were "snowed in" today, so my husband and I decided to give this a try since the recipe does not call for any kind of oil in the batter, we were a bit skeptical, but when we tasted it, we both looked at each other and nodded (yes) simultaneously!

I was a bit disappointed in this cake. I don't think it's a kid's cake...at least not for my kids who ate the topping and left the rest. As a an adult cake, it's "OK", but nothing I'd rave about. I find it tastes best warm from the over, or warmed up for snacking later in the day (or the next day). I would not make it again.

Very good! I added chopped apples. Debating about whether or not I want to add an icing seeing as I am on a diet, but it is amazing none the less.

I guess I had good luck because this recipe really worked out well for me. My family thought it was great and asked me to make it again this week!

This recipe was just "okay" for me. There was nothing about it that made me jump up and down -like many of the other reviewers.

I must have done something wrong...my baking powder was not outdated but I baked it in a 9x13" pan and it did not rise. I was taking it to work for Secretaries Day and I was kind of embarrassed as it was only about 3/4" deep. Everyone said it tsted good but it was way too sweet. It probably would not have been if It had risen. I will maybe try it aain sometime. I am sure, from the other reviews, that I must have done something wrong. I do love your recipes Kitten and have never had one fail me til now.

Sorry I was very disappointed with this recipe. I mixed the dry ingredients first and then added wet so as not to overmix. I found the cake rubbery and very dense. Not at all what I expected for such a high rated cake. I will not make again.

I thought this would be a no fail recipe considering how easy the directions were and how few ingredients were involved. The cake was neither tasty nor did it have the right texture. I tasted the batter which was good but I spit out the one bite that I did eat after it was done. I followed the instructions to the letter but the cake was very rubbery. I will never make it again and am baffled by its high rating.

I am sorry to post a negative review, but I really was not impressed with this cake. I thought with such great reviews I couldn't go wrong. It tasted very rubbery to me. I was surprised because normally I love Kittencal recipes. As the highest rated cake on recipezaar, I expected a little more out of it.

I added chopped apples to the flop, but I was very disappointed. It was rubbery and tasted strongly of baking powder. I wouldn't make it again.

This was just "ok" in my opinion. I think a bit of flour added to the brown sugar mixture would help lighten it, and cutting the butter into the sugar rather than pouring it over top...for me it all just sunk to the bottom make and impossible mess to get out of the pan. also the directions should state to mix the topping first, set aside. Mix the dry ingrediants then add the wet, you will get a better rise as the liquid activates the baking poweder and should be mixed and baked immediately rather than setting aside waiting while you mix the topping.

I am so sorry to be posting this rating. I love your recipes but for some reason, this one didn't turn out. It didn't rise and it was too tough. I opted to use milk, but I'm not sure that would have made a difference anyway. I am definitely open to suggestions as why this happened to me.

I didn't really care for this much. It was more like sweet bread than coffee cake or cinnamon rolls, even with the glaze over it. I did add in the egg and vanilla.

This was AWFUL! I made it twice because I thought I must of made a mistake. I was thinking it would have a cinnamon roll taste to it. WELL it was like a chewy sponge and not sweet at all!
We did not like this even though it was simple. The texture was gummy and it was not good the next day I was very careful not to over mix. I don't mind spending more time on a better end result.

So tasty and easy! I baked this in 2 round 8" pans instead of the 13x9. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla and generous dash of nutmeg to the batter. The smells coming from my oven brought everyone to the kitchen. When I served this the cake was moist and light, the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture had oozed to everypart of the cake. It was breakfast nirvana!

Not a good match for me. I used fresh products and it still turned out like a wet sponge for me. Not a fan of the cake texture or taste. For the amount of stars and reviews I expected it to be spectacular, but it just wasn't a keeper for me.

I hate to be the negative reviewer but this did not work for me. It was easy to pull together and I so wanted to love it but it had no flavor. I don't understand, because I used the full 1.25 c sugar, 2 tsp Madagascar vanilla, real butter, and Penzey's (n/a) Vietnamese cinnamon. I don't understand. Maybe I'll try again and double the flavorings and topping. This just had no taste at all. I give it two stars because anyone who goes to the trouble of providing a recipe for us deserves some thanks.

Made this last night. Cake was rubbery and not fluffy and I was sure not to overmix and used fresh ingredients. I was very disapointed.. Topping was good but I will not make this again.

This was sooo quick and easy that I thought it just couldn't be "that good".....BUT IT IS!
Not too sweet - just right.
I added a small amt of almond extract with the vanilla and hubby said it was the BEST. Thanks Kittencaslkitchen, this is a winner :)

I give it 4 stars for being so easy and fast to make. I fixed it this morning while hubby was waking up and we enjoyed it with our morning coffee together. His comments were it tasted like too much vanilla (I had added 1 1/2 tsp) so I will cut down next time. I like it because it wasn't overly sweet. I did add the egg. All in all a good recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the batter for good measure. Have made twice now and it really satisfies cinnamon roll cravings without as much guilt!

We liked this very much, my 5yo son especially. I drizzled some icing on top but otherwise left the recipe completely unchanged. Will definitely make this again.

My 6 year old daughter and I made this and it was so good. It was very easy to make and it disappeared super fast. My wife took it to work and said people were talking about it all day long. Thanks.

Oh Kittencal, where have you been all my life? What an amazing moist, gooey, sweet wonderful treat for breakfast! Thank you for sharing!

Delicious and easy. I halved the recipe as another reviewer mentioned. I used white whole wheat flour, a whole egg, half a cup of granulated sugar (which was plenty sweet enough), vanilla AND almond extract, and walnuts. My boys really enjoyed the quick treat this morning! Thank you!

I had really high hopes for this because of so many wonderful reviews. It was just okay to me. It actually tasted too sweet and I only used 1 cup of sugar. The texture was off for me as well.

Okay this took longer than 5 minutes prep, but that could have been because I prepped before I had any coffee this morning! EASY, fast enough for a weekday breakfast, and yummy enough to bring to a fancy brunch. I am officially in love with this recipe and will be making it very often. Next up, a banana bread variation with banana slices and pecans - YUM! I think the egg is a definite for us. Thank you so much for posting! :) ETA: banana nut is great, but frozen blueberries are AWESOME - like a blueberry muffin in cake form. It does take an extra 10 minutes though.

I am so ambivalent about this recipe. I had grand expectations for it given the number of reviews and rating, but I was left a bit unimpressed after baking it. I'm not a fan of the texture of it (chewy? - not in a good brownie-chewy kind of way, and maybe slightly rubbery too). I also found it to be too sweet. If I make it again, I will reduce the sugar by at least 1/4c. Made as directed and included the optional egg. It did taste much better dunked in coffee than it did plain. I figure that it's worth it to take any extra 5-10min more and use a recipe where the wet and dry ingredients are separated.

There is something very magical about this simple coffeecake. If I could give it more stars I would! I have been making this as an after school snack for my children for years and it is one of their favorite snacks to eat. It is extremely simple and easy to make yet never fails to be crazy delicious! I have made this dish for company for breakfast as well as afternoon coffee. Great quick recipe to throw together for unexpected visitors! I thank you for sharing this gem Kittencal and so do my children!!!!

I've been eyeing this recipe for years and tis the season for baking... Firstly, I mixed dry ingredients then added this to the wet ingredients as suggested, using a light hand. After baking, it was apparent the butter along with the brown sugar, sunk towards the bottom making it rather gooey. Now, don't get me wrong, this may be a good thing for many. I also made half a recipe of Kittencal's Easy Creamy White Glaze, which was more than enough. I'm uncertain if the flop's richness is a result of using half-and-half and egg or the addition of the glaze, but the combination was almost over-the-top sweet.

This was OK, but not as good as I expected with so many great reviews. The cake seemed to be a little 'eggy', and wasn't as moist as I had hoped. Perhaps I did something wrong. It was edible, but don't think I'd make it again.

This coffeecake had a good flavor, but I was not fond of the texture. Made exactly as written with the egg, but it still came out slightly chewy/rubbery. I don't believe I overmixed it. 5 year old son said it was "too sugary" Maybe will try again with less sugar and mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately then adding them together.

I made this today and it tastes good, but the texture is rubbery. I am a VERY novice cook, so I'm not sure what I did wrong. I also have a stupid stove I'm trying to get used to. I loved that I actually had all the ingredients on hand, and didn't need a mixer. Great recipe!

Making this was easy, but the batter was suspiciously runny; that could have been because of the egg. It baked alright, although the topping disappeared (sadly, not into a gooey mess like in the photo). The cake part needs something... it's sweet, but the flavor is lacking. I wasn't too fond of the texture--sort of rubbery. Thanks for a new recipe, Kittencal.

This was okay I followed the recipe as is and added the glaze. I didn't care for the texture of the cake. I think I was expecting something more like the honey bun cake.

I followed the recipe exactly, using the egg, except I didn't use all of the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture. The 13X9 dish was the perfect size once this baked up. Don't be fooled by the amount of batter going in- you'll definately need the space! My only complaint about this recipe was that it was waaaay too sweet. Next time I'll try making the batter without the white sugar, or halve both the white and brown sugars. Overall it was a simple recipe that baked up quite nicely, It just needs a little tweaking to become a staple in our house.

It was pretty good. Didn't love the bread part though, didn't like the texture. It was really easy to make though and tasted pretty good. Thanks for sharing.

Another home run from Kittencal. I used eggnog instead of milk and folks LOVED it!

I thought this cake was a little bland/boring. I guess I expected more due to the rave reviews for 4 stars. Some of the kids I served it to didn't like the nuts in it. Would be great for a potluck for a big group as it is quick and easy.

Easy and very delicious! Not sure how the other people went wrong! I even left out the baking powder (yep I said it) and it was so yummy and a hit with my family!

Ok this is truly the quickest cake I have baked without having to dirty too many dishes. It is also one of the yummiest cakes! I ended up "sprinkling" a little too much butter in the end, so there goes the whole "waist friendly" bit! Will most def be making this, being a cake lover and all.

Made this as an afternoon snack cake. I made 1/2 the recipe in one 9-inch cake pan. I left out the nuts for DSs and it was still very good. Moist and the topping gave it a nice sweetness.

Kittencal, you've done it again! This was awesome! I've been craving cinnamon rolls and this fulfilled it. I almost broke down and bought some at the store, which means taking hive medicine as I'm allergic to milk. I just can't seem to get it together enough to make them from scratch even though I have an awesome bread machine. These do the trick and so easily! I will say that they might puff up more if I had used baking powder that hadn't expired 5 years ago (I looked at the date after I mixed them!)!!! I also used Kirkland Vanilla Soy Milk (Costco) and put a dash of cinnamon in the batter since I love it so much! I also didn't use butter, but the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter soft spread regular. I did the rest as written. I didn't use any additional icing, though for die-hard cinnamon roll fans this might have been necessary. I'm watching my weight so I decided to try it without the extra first. I'm glad I did! I also didn't overmix it, the batter still had lumps in it when I put it in. I personally think that's probably the trick to it. Anyway, thanks Kittencal for another wonderful recipe!