Cinnamon Layer Cake
A soft, moist, and completely eggless Cinnamon Layer Cake made with simple pantry ingredients and finished with a light, creamy cinnamon frosting. Perfect for cozy baking days, holidays, and special celebrations. Eggless and Vegan friendly!
Yield: 12 servings
Equipment
- 3 x 8 inch (20cm) Round Cake Pans
- 2 x mixing bowls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Cake
- 480 ml Milk* room temperature; see notes for options
- 1+1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice or white vinegar
- 220 g Light Brown Sugar
- 50 g Cane Sugar or castor sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 85 ml Oil vegetable or any neutral oil
- 340 g All Purpose Flour
- 3 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Cinnamon Powder or ground chai spice/ gingerbread spice
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Unsulphured Molasses Syrup optional
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 340 g Cream Cheese cold
- 150 g Powdered Sugar or icing sugar
- 270 ml Whipping Cream cold
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
Instructions
For Cinnamon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(175°C).
- Lightly grease three 8-inch(20 cm) round cake pans with oil and line the bottoms with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and lemon juice and let it sit for 10 minutes until slightly curdled.
- Add the oil, vanilla extract, light brown sugar and cane sugar then mix until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, and salt. Stir until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
- Mix Molasses syrup if using.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are set and spring back when gently pressed.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely on a wire rack.
For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, use either a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment or use a handheld electric whisk.
- Add the cold cream cheese and beat briefly to soften and make it smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula.
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in two additions, mixing on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and light, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cold whipping cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon powder. Continue mixing until the frosting is fully combined, smooth, and holds medium peaks.
Cake Assembly
- Place the first cake layer onto the prepared stand or plate.
- Add 6-7 scoops of cream cheese frosting on top and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
- Gently place the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer. Repeat the frosting step, add 6-7 scoops and spread evenly.
- Add the final cake layer on top, pressing down gently to align and secure the stack.
- Apply a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake to trap crumbs and create a smooth base. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set.
- Once the crumb coat has firmed up, apply a thicker, even layer of frosting.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle with the remaining frosting and pipe dollops or borders on the top and sides of the cake. Dust cinnamon sugar if desired.
- Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set and make slicing easier.
Notes
Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams.
Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
Milk: Use unsweetened dairy-free milk such as almond / oat / soy or any whole milk of your choice.
Whipping Cream: Use dairy-free whipping cream such as califia farms / country crock or any regular unsweetened whipping cream of your choice.
Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. Ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char) or use organic cane sugar.
Cream Cheese: Use dairy-free cream cheese or any plain full fat cream cheese of your choice.