Grandma's Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

It's time to make my very favorite "Grandma's chocolate" cake inspired by my lovely grandma Hazel. This Chocolate Cinnamon Cake recipe has a warm moist flavor that's unmatched!

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I share a lot of cakes on my blog, but this cake holds a special place in my heart because it's inspired by my Grandma Hazel's moist chocolate sheet cake. She's the best baker I've known, and she taught me all her baking recipes. In my opinion, everyone needs to give this Chocolate Cinnamon Cake a try! 

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At Amycakes Bakery, this chocolate cinnamon cake was one of those flavors that once people tried it, they were hooked and ordered it again and again.    

The rich, chocolate cake is infused with the warm flavor of cinnamon. It's perfect for a winter celebration or anytime you're craving something cozy and comforting. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat.

If you're longing for just one slice of your Grandma's favorite cake, then consider making this one. The ganache filling is everything and I'd love for you to be able to try it, savor it, and even reminisce a little! 

And if you're looking for an equally delicious cake sans cinnamon, try my chocolate nut cake.

🥣 Ingredients

• Some of the BEST cakes are made with chocolate instant pudding mix. This cake is made with it because it makes it so moist! If you've never used pudding mix in your cake, let this be the first time you do it. You may never go back to the regular way of making a cake. You can also use Instant Clearjel as described within the recipe, which is the second ingredient in instant pudding mix!
• One of the main ingredients of this cake is unsweetened cocoa powder. I use the Hershey's brand but any kind will do. It gives the chocolate cinnamon cake a delicious milk chocolate flavor.
• You don't have to add finely chopped pecans, but can I just tell you, it makes this cake even more amazing. If you don't like pecans, then leave them out.
• I am all about semi-sweet chocolate chips.  It makes the most delicious and simple fudgy ganache filling and drizzle in this cake.

📋 Instructions

This chocolate cinnamon layer cake is one of my quick two-bowl method cakes-it's incredibly easy to whip up the cake batter without a mixer. 

1. Whisk your dry ingredients, then whisk your wet ingredients. 
2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and add melted salted butter.
3. Bake at 325 degrees for most of the baking, then turn the oven down to 300 towards the end of baking to keep it from over-browning. 
4. Layer it with my super easy fudgy chocolate ganache and fluffy chocolate buttercream. 

Layer this Cake using the Cut and Stack Method

I bake all my cakes in sheet pans and cut them out with cake rings. I talk about this in detail in 5 Easy Steps to Baking and Layering Cakes Like a Pro, but here's a quick rundown:

1. Bake the Cake in a Sheet Pan
2. Wrap and Freeze the Cake in the Pan
3. Cut Desired Cake Size with Cake Rings and Layer the Cake from Frozen
4. Crumb Coat the Cake
5. Decorate and Serve

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A cake that tastes as amazing as it looks is easier to make than you think! This 3-layer drip cake is something that I make often because it's just full of good memories. I hope you're able to make this Chocolate Cinnamon Cake and start making precious and delicious memories of your own! 

Thanks for Reading. ❤️

📖 Recipe & Step-by-Step Instructions

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Grandma's Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

5 from 39 votes

This chocolate cinnamon cake is so soft and moist with just the right hint of cinnamon. It's layered with a fudgy chocolate ganache filling, fluffy chocolate buttercream, as well as ground pecans (if desired).

A 1x batch yields 1 6" three-layer cake, and a 2x batch yields 1 8" three-layer cake cut out with cake rings using the Cut and Stack Method. Or choose a different pan size by visiting my recommended cake pan chart.

👩‍🍳 For the most accurate baking results, use the grams measurements with a kitchen scale. Watch the quick recipe video

Servings 8 servings

1x2x

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time22 minutes mins

Cake Layering Time25 minutes mins

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Equipment

Cake Ring(s)

1x batch: ¼ Sheet Pan

2x batch: ½ Sheet Pan

Nut chopper

Parchment Paper

kitchen scale

Ingredients

1x2x

Dry Ingredients

• ▢ 177 grams (1 ¼ cups + 1 Tablespoon) All-Purpose Flour (I use Gold Medal)
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ▢ 43 grams (¼ cup) Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix (the dry mix) or 2 Tablespoons instant clearjel (see note #1)
• ▢ 15 grams (3 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I use Hershey's)
• ▢ 100 grams (½ cup) Sugar
• ▢ 142 grams (½ cup + 2 Tablespoons packed) Brown sugar

Wet Ingredients

• ▢ 2 large Eggs
• ▢ ¾ cup Buttermilk
• ▢ ¼ cup Water
• ▢ ¼ cup + 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Other Cake Ingredients

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• ▢ ¾ stick(s) (3 ounces) Salted Butter

Ganache Filling, Cake Decorations and Frosting

• ▢ 129 grams (¾ cup) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• ▢ ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ 1 cup finely chopped Pecans
• ▢ 1 x batch prepared Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream (please note the batch size)

Instructions

Bake the Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 1" tall ¼ sheet pan with parchment paper, then lightly spray the bottom (on top of the parchment) and sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Using a sifter or fine mesh strainer, sift the Dry Ingredients into a large bowl, then whisk until well blended. Combine Wet Ingredients in a separate large bowl and whisk until smooth and well-blended.
• Pour the Wet Ingredients over the Dry Ingredients, then immediately (before stirring) add in the apple cider vinegar. Whisk everything together--the apple cider vinegar will bubble slightly as it reacts with the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the melted Butter into the batter and whisk until smooth, uniform and lump-free.
• Pour the chocolate cinnamon cake batter into the prepared ¼ sheet pan and smooth out the batter until even (an offset icing spatula works well for this).
• Bake on the middle or top rack (avoid bottom rack) of the preheated 325-degree oven for 18 minutes, then turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Set the timer for an additional 3-8 minutes, or until a toothpick or paring knife comes out mostly clean (watch closely towards the end of baking). A couple of moist crumbs on your knife are fine, but they shouldn't look wet. Some ovens may require a longer baking time, and 2x batches may take a few more minutes in the oven.
• The delicate cake will be easiest to layer from cold or frozen--allow the cake to cool, then wrap the cake in the pan thoroughly in plastic wrap. Freeze the cake in the pan for at least 2 hours or up to 2 weeks ahead of time (brush the cake with simple syrup if freezing for more than a couple of days--see Note #2).

Make the Fudgy Pecan Ganache Filling and Drizzle

• Combine the heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate chips in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30-second increments, whisking for 30 seconds to one minute in between each heat. (It should only take two to three heats in the microwave. Lots of whisking will melt your chocolate faster and prevent the chocolate chips from overcooking in the microwave.
• Once all the chocolate chips are melted and your ganache is shiny and smooth, remove ¼ cup to use as a drizzle to decorate the cake (if desired). The reserved ganache can be refrigerated until it's time to decorate the cake. Stir the ground pecans into the remaining ganache to make it a fudgy pecan ganache filling, then place it in the fridge to cool.
• Stir the filling occasionally until it has cooled to a very thick and fudgy consistency. Once it is the right thickness, remove it from the fridge until you are ready to fill and layer your cake. (If your ganache gets too cold, it will be too thick to spread. Simply reheat in the microwave at 5-10 second increments, stirring frequently, until it is the right consistency.)

Layer, Decorate, and Serve

• The easiest way to layer this chocolate cinnamon cake is to layer it from frozen the day before you plan to serve it. If serving the cake the same day you are layering it, use refrigerated cake layers instead of frozen. Cut the cake layers with cake rings as described in How to Bake and Layer Cakes Like a Pro.
• Spread half of the prepared ganache filling on the top of your bottom cake layer, then spread ¼ inch layer of prepared fluffy chocolate buttercream on top of the ganache (as seen in my recipe video). An offset icing spatula (I use the small and medium-size on all my cakes) helps with this. Repeat with the second cake layer. The remaining cake scraps can be used for delicious chocolate cinnamon cake truffles if desired.
• I recommend frosting a thin crumb coat of buttercream on the outside of the cake which will catch all the crumby edges, then allow it to set up in the freezer for about 10 minutes until the buttercream is firm, before adding the final coat of chocolate buttercream and top with more ground pecans (if desired).
• Microwave the reserved ganache until thin, and drizzle down the sides of the cake using a spoon or squeeze bottle. The remaining chocolate buttercream can be used to pipe rosettes with a 1M star tip and disposable piping bag.
• You can let the cake set up in the fridge, but remove it from the fridge 2-3 hours before serving so it can come back to room temperature (avoid warm temperatures). This delicious cinnamon chocolate cake has the best texture at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

Notes for 2x batches (some of these won't apply if you are using the grams measurements):
3 tsp= 1 Tbsp
4 tablespoon = ¼ cup

1. Instant Pudding Mix and Instant Clearjel stabilize the batter and make a moister cake with a softer crumb.  Instant Pudding contains Instant Clearjel (modified cornstarch) as the 2nd ingredient which is why they work similarly with delicious results.  Make sure whichever you use is labeled as INSTANT--cook-type and original clearjel do not work the same as Instant Clearjel.
2. Simple Syrup is optional, but I use it to seal in the moisture for cakes that will be refrigerated or frozen.  While the cake cools, make a simple syrup by combining 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the sugar is dissolved after whisking, about 20-30 seconds.  You will only need half of this on a 1x batch of cake.  You can also make a larger batch of this (1 part sugar to 1 part water) and keep it in the fridge if you're doing a lot of cake baking. 

Author: Amy

Calories: 1190kcal

Calories are estimated using a nutrition calculator. This recipe may link to additional recipes, which contain calories that are not included in this recipe.

Tried this recipe?Mention @amycakesbakes or comment below! I'd love to hear from you!

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