My very first post as a member of TWD was April 22, 2008 – Big Bill’s Carrot Cake. Now, over 13 months later I’m still baking with the group and so excited that the big week has finally arrived: my turn to choose the recipe! I’ve never gone through the book flagging possible recipes to choose when my turn came along. I figured I’d just be disappointed since many of them would have already been chosen. Instead, when I received the email asking for my selection I did a quick flip through and chose the cinnamon squares. The gorgeous picture has always caught my eye and more importantly, it’s a basic, uncomplicated recipe! As much as I love to bake, I’m a bit of a lazy baker so an easy recipe is right up my alley. It’s not the flashiest recipe in the book (in face Dorie even calls it “homey”), but I had high expectations that the cake’s flavorful combination of chocolate and cinnamon would make up for its lack of elegance.
It’s pretty rare for me to stray much from the recipe as Dorie has written it, and this week was no exception. I decided instead to make the cake from the original recipe and to make a cupcake version of the “playing around” option.
I put the cake together first. It’s a straight forward recipe – mix the dry, mix the wet and combine the two. The only exception is that the melted butter is the very last thing added to the batter. I don’t know about everyone else but when I poured the butter into the bowl I got worried. It seemed like so much liquid and I was worried the batter would never absorb it! It did eventually come together though and I got the cake in the oven. The cake was done after about 40 minutes.
While the cake cooled, I started on the cupcakes. I infused the milk with the instant espresso as Dorie suggests for the “playing around” option. I also decided to omit the chocolate from the center layer and instead added some cinnamon chips. Cinnamon chips are pretty hard to find at my local grocery store and I’ve been hoarding this particular bag of cinnamon chips for months now but this occasion seemed as good as any to finally break into the bag! I had enough batter to make 12 cupcakes and they baked up in about 20 minutes. Originally, I hadn’t planned to frost the cupcakes and thought I would just eat them like this:
However, when I tried one plain, I thought it needed something else, so I wound up frosting the cupcakes too.
The chocolate/sugar-mixture layer in the cake didn’t have quite the same pretty wave-like look that Dorie’s did, but I was just glad the chocolate didn’t all sink to the bottom. I added more than half the batter (more like 3/4) in the pan before adding the chocolate and sugar-mixture so that may have played a role. Shane and I tried the cake tonight and we both liked it, but I’m not sure it lived up to my expectations. My cake was a bit on the dry side and I wasn’t a huge fan of the frosting.
As for the cappuccino cupcake version, I thought it was pretty neat that the cinnamon chip/sugar-mixture layer line was visible on the cupcake liner when I removed them from the tins. You can see the lines in the below photo. As for taste, I definitely preferred the cupcakes to the cake. The cupcakes were more moist and I really enjoyed the intense coffee flavor (and it was certainly intense) combined with the cinnamon. I still wasn’t a big fan of the frosting so I think when I make these again I’ll make the cappuccino cupcake version, leave it unfrosted and pair it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! Yum!
Many thanks to all of the TWD members who baked along with me this week! I’m really looking forward to reading your blogs and seeing what you thought.
Cinnamon Squares
from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
Cake
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Frosting
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
To Make the Cake: Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and the espresso together in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and gently whisk until you have a homogenous batter. Now, using the whisk or a rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch, just until the butter is absorbed. You’ll have a smooth, shiny batter.
Scrape half of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top again.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan; a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.
To Make the Frosting: Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. Be careful not to overheat the mixture so much that it thins out; the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable. (If it thins, leave the frosting at room temperature for a bit, until it thickens a little.)
Using an offset metal icing spatula or a table knife, spread the frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature, then cut the cake into 9 squares, each about 2 1/2 inches on a side.
Playing Around
Cappuccino Squares: If you like the cappuccino flavor combination of coffee and cinnamon, you can easily switch the balance in this recipe by adding a jolt of coffee flavor to the batter. Just mix 1 tablespoon instant espresso into the milk and warm the milk in a microwave oven until it is hot enough to dissolve the coffee. Cool the milk and carry on.
Serving: Serve the cake as is or, if you’d like, with whipped cream, creme fraiche or sour cream.
Storing: Wrapped in plastic, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 days. It can be frozen for up to 2 months, but it’s best to put the cake in the freezer unwrapped and then, when the frosting is firm, to wrap it airtight; defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.
Ciao ! Thank you for choosing this recipe ! I’m still frosting it but reading your post I realized my butter is still in the microwave !! It will be a light version !!
Thanks for choosing such a great recipe. I really enjoyed eating all of it..haha. I never thought that cinnamon and coffee would work so well together. Your cupcakes look so cute!
I’m so glad you tried the cappuccino version…that was the one I made and we LOVED it! Your cupcakes are so cute with their swirls of frosting! Thanks for picking such a great and easy recipe for us this week!
Happy Dorie week to you!
You did it all – squares, cupcakes, icing. Everything look amazing! Thanks for choosing this great recipe!
I love that you made the cupcakes. I’m glad this worked out for you! It did smell Heavenly, but something went wrong with mine. Amazingly, my ribbon didn’t sink LOL Thanks for picking it, I’m not giving up, I will try this again sometime 🙂
Both versions look terrific Tracey – the cupcakes are especially cute. Thanks for being our host this week!
I LOVED this recipe and I was so happy that you chose it! I am sorry that your cake version turned out dry, but the cupcakes looks terrific. Seriously Tracy, this was a danger for me to have around. Can’t wait to make it again!
I was fortunate to try both of these and I have to say that I definitely preferred the cake to the cupcakes. I thought the mixture of flavors, cinnamon and chocolate, was great! Thanks for sharing.
How fun you made cupcakes! Thanks for hosting!
Your pictures are great – thanks for this week’s selection!!
I love BOTH of your versions! I am sorry you weren’t a fan of the cake one, though? I LOVED this one… and I loved the frosting! Sorry you weren’t crazy about the frosting either? I think you made a great pick this week!!!!!
Your cake and cupcakes look great! Sorry it let you down a bit. I loved it! Thanks for chosing a great recipe!
Looks beautiful! I like your cinnamon chip variation. That sounds delicious!!
Such a great pick.
I loved it!
I love the cupcakes, great choice!
A great recipe choice, Tracey. I love your frosting swirls on the cupcakes. Nice job on the squares, too.
Your cake and cupcakes look delicious! Sorry I didn’t bake along this week, but I’ve made this before and know how good it is. A great pick!
Your squares and cucpakes look amazing!! I thought this was a great pick!! And your photos look fabulous!
GRRREAT! I made cupcakes, too. A good, simple recipe. That’s what I like, too! Your cake looks divine.
both versions look great! Thanks for a perfect pick this week!
Thank you for choosing this recipe. I loved it! Your cupcakes are adorable.
Your cupcakes look fabulous! What a great idea! I made the cappuccino version too.
Your cupcakes look so great! I agree, I love how the cinnamon mixture shows up through the cupcake liner. I really enjoyed this recipe!
Thanks for a great pick, Tracey! We loved these, and I appreciated the ease of this recipe. I used the last of my cinnamon chips for these too, my kids told me I’d better write cinnamon chips on the shopping list for next time 🙂 Your cake and cupcakes look absoultely perfect, I’m sure you’ve made Dorie proud!
I love your blog first of all..and thank you so much for picking a great recipe–I loved it!
Great adaptations with the “Playing Around” version too!!
Thanks again!
I really loved this recipe and have been eyeing it for a while – thank you for choosing it! Both your versions look perfect and I really love the cupcakes!
This was a great pick. Your pictures are beautiful and everything looks like it turned out great, especially the cupcake frosting. Fantastic all the way around!
Great choice! I love your cupcakes too–they are really beautiful!
Great pick. Love the cupcakes. I wish I would have tried the espresso version. Next time I will. Love your photos.
Thanks for a great pick. These were simple to make and delicious.
Thank you for choosing this recipe!
The mixture of flavors, cinnamon, coffee and chocolate, was great.
I love it!
You sure know how to throw down with the cinnamon squares!
Love the cake and the cupcakes! You outdid yourself and it paid off. Thanks for picking this recipe . . it was nice and easy . . . we love you! 🙂
Aww – too bad you didn’t absolutely love this –
But so far, everyone else I’ve seen has! So you picked a great recipe.
Thank you SO much for choosing this recipe! It is a new household favorite!!!! Your cake looks amazing both ways!
Your cake and cupcakes look fantastic! I’d love to try the cupcake version because my cake was a little dry too – I think I overbaked it a bit. Thanks soo much for choosing this recipe! I loved it!
I really loved these, thanks for the pick! Your cupcakes are so cute, and since I now know that you preferred those to the regular version, I’m going to have to make that sometime!
Thanks for picking this one..it is nice to have something relatively easy after so many multi-step/day recipes in the spring. I loved it…I like your cupcake shot witht he teeth marks.
You did a great job choosing this weeks TWD recipe. Im so sorry I had to miss it. Im keeping busy with the kids and baseball. I hope to do some serious baking soon. I love love your cupcakes..perfect!
Great pick! This was one of those recipes that absolutely surprised me and turned out to be a new favorite! Yours look great – I love the cupcakes!
-Amy
http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com
I am discovering that you are a master cupcake swirler! You do such a nice job! WOW!
Very, very well done! …and thank you so much for chosing this recipe, without it I still would have believed I was anti-cinnamon! Can you believe the step you had me take?
These look beautiful and I love the ribbon wave of chocolate and the way it looks…so much fun this week to see everyone’s ribbons as they are different. Sort of magical. I have looked high and low for cinnamon chips and can’t find them. I thought since I didn’t like chocolate that these would be great and then a cream cheese frosting…but no cinnamon chips to be found. Your cake is great…thanks for the pick, my husband loved this cake with coffee as he said it was the perfect combo of flavors!
I agree that the cappucino version is really delicious (I didn’t make the regular one, though, so I can’t compare the two) I liked the frosting, but also made a streusel topping that was a hit with everyone. I loved your pick this week! Very good job – nothing like having easy + delicious!!
These look heavenly! Such a great sounding recipe! Yum!
Oh this looks so good! I think I prefer the cupcakes though they re adorable and look so decadent !
GREAT pick, Tracey! You did an incredible job – love all of your versions here. This is a recipe that I will turn to again and again. It’s versatile, easy and out-of-this-world delicious!
happy 13 months!
Thank you for such a great pic! I really enjoyed this recipe. I love both your traditional version and the cupcake cappuccino version. YUM!
great choice Tracey! your cupcakes look fabulous too
Thank you so much for an excellent pick this week! I loved this cake so much- I can’t wait to make it again!
Both of your versions look great. I’m sorry that I had to skip this week, but it’s fun to see what everyone did with this recipe. Enjoy your week in the TWD spotlight 🙂
Bill’s Big Carrot Cake was my first TWD week as well. I guess that’s why my turn to select is at the end of the month. I thought this was a great cake and your cupcakes are beautiful.
Your timing with this pick is amazing. Dorie wrote an article for Spice Inspirations on my site and her spice of inspiration was cinnamon. It just so happened that she gave me this recipe to post and that her feature was scheduled to post June 1st. If I had tried to coordinate this I am sure it never would have worked out as perfectly as this coincidence.
Thanks for the pick this week! Your cupcakes looking delish. If I make this one again I’m definitely going to try it with the cappaccino method.
bill’s big carrot cake was my first twd too, isn’t it crazy to think back to when we were first starting!! thanks for the great pick this week, it’s one of the ones i’ve always been curious about. yours, of course, look amazing. love the little cupcakes, too.
I came across your blog from another TWD blogger… Looking forward to reading more of your blog posts.
The cinnamon squares look delicious – both ways!
Excellent choice, Tracey! I loved this recipe. I can’t wait to have an excuse to make a full-size cake. Both of your versions look fantastic. Oh, and can I just say how nice it was to have an easy one after the bee stings?
oh, i just love your cupcakes–so cute! and your photos are excellent too.
thanks for choosing a fun (and simple!) recipe:)
Beautifully done! I will try this next week when I have more free time. you have sold me on the cupcakes!
Great pick, Tracey! Your cake and cupcakes both look good. I have to agree, I didn’t like the frosting that much on this one. I’m thinking a nut streusel on top would be pretty yummy, though.
Your pictures are all so nice. This was a great pick and my son thanks you!!
great pick this week. I love your pictures. I also made cupcakes and really enjoyed them.
This was such a great choice, Tracey! and speaking of great, both your squares and your cupcakes look wonderful! This is going to be a keeper for me, so thanks for introducing us to it.
Thanks for picking this recipe: it’s amazing and I really loved it! The cupcakes are soooo cute!
merci Tracey pour le choix de cette recette 🙂
en version cupcakes, c’est super beau 🙂
Thanks for the great pick! I love your cupcake version!
Thanks for such a great pick. 🙂 This is my first week baking with TWD, and I was glad to see the selection; I’d had my eyes on these for awhile. I LOVED these squares, but I wasn’t overly taken with the icing, either. I liked the flavour of the cake so much next time I’d skip the chocolate topping entirely (never thought I’d hear myself saying THAT).
these made nice cupcakes! i’m really glad you picked this recipe, as i’d been eyeing up the photo in the book for months, too! we loved it–thanks!
Thank you so much for choosing this cake — I’ve wanted to make it since I got the book last summer, but I needed an excuse. I absolutely loved it, although my cupcakes didn’t look nearly as pretty as yours!
The squares look great. Love the visible swirl in them. The cupcake idea is super cool. Great job!
Btw, I posted my bday cake :o)
Great pictures — and, like you, I love the way the wavy filling line shows through the cupcake liners. Very pretty.
This was a great recipe! Thanks for choosing it.
The passion came out in these wonderful cupcakes I love the frosting:Delicious!
Thanks for sharing such wonderful cupcake:)
Come and visit:)
Welcome~~~
http://www.foodcreate.com
Hi Tracey
All the way from Cafe Lynnylu to here….Love these squares. I have marked the recipe and put it to my to-do list….
Thank you!
I just love this recipe! I made it a while back and my family went crazy over them.
Love love love chocolate and cinnamon. Mmmmm. Both your versions look amazing!
Hey! It’s just me telling you that I am so sorry for spelling your name wrong in my TWD post. It’s all fixed now! I blame it all on the cinnamon. :o)
Love the cup cakes. And you are right, they don’t really need frosting.
Thanks for coming by. Great pic.
I love chocolates and looking at these photos makes my mouth water.
This was a fun choice. Something I probably wouldn’t have made otherwise!
The cinnamon chips sound yummy.
Both your cake and cupcakes turned out perfectly! Well done! Thanks so much for hosting this week!
I ate my cappuccino version with ice cream and i can vouch for its delectability! Great pick!
Man, so sorry I missed these, I just didn’t have time before Hawaii since the June recipes were posted so late. I will do a rewind soon and try the cupcake version. They both look fantastic.
Thanks for this weeks recipe. It was easy and a delight to share. Your cupcakes are wonderful. What a great group this is. I love being a part of it and thanks for your comments on my blog. Happy Baking! lola
your cupcakes look DELICIOUS! it’s great that you got the cinnamon layer in them…i made cupcakes too, but didn’t even bother with the inside layer bc i thought it wouldn’t come out well. but yours look great. thanks for picking such a great recipe!
Yum! Beautiful, simple recipe (I love the homey best). I love both versions and I will try them.
Seriously gorgeous pix! I sat this week out and, as per usual when I sit out a week, I’m wishing I hadn’t! I’m definitely going to try the cappucino version thanks to the comments of others.
Thank you for this choosing this recipe! It was delicious and not too hard to bake. I love your cupcakes!
I love the cupcake version!! We loved this here and I know I’ll be making it again.
I like what you did with this recipe. The cupcakes sound great and worth making, very much worth it.
I made these a few weeks ago, and I’m making them again today, so the whole family can enjoy it once more!:)
Thank you!