Cinnamon Mocha Cake

I am so excited about this new cookbook I got, which is "Baking: From my home to yours" by Dorie Greenspan.  The book is beautiful with tons of tantalizing recipes and lots of charming asides.  I have a feeling I will be posting a lot of recipes out of it.  Here is the first one, a cinnamon mocha cake which is absolutely delicious.

Although I see the combination of chocolate and coffee all the time, I haven't seen as much chocolate and cinnamon, which is a shame because it is a great combination.  I am a huge cinnamon fan and this cake is very cinnamony and satisfies all my cravings.

Have I mentioned how excited I am about this cookbook?  I mean, I am already overly-excited about cooking in general but usually I don't get cookbooks.  There are so many good recipes on the internet with all the amazing food bloggers out there it seems unnecessary.  But I find that having the physical book adds  something undefinable.  Being able to turn the pages and leave chocolate thumbprints on all the beautiful photographs (not intentionally, of course) gives me such satisfaction. 

Okay, let me rave about this recipe some more.  It is simple and for some reason the cinnamon has such a homey, comforting flavor (like Mom's apple pie, even though I'm the one who makes pie at our house and have been for a long time).  But the coffee and chocolate give it some sophistication, which I also love.

I put cooked the recipe in a bundt pan because a) I can't find my square pan and b) like mini-cupcakes I have a weird attraction to bundt cakes.  Baking a cake recipe in a bundt pan or as mini-cupcakes gives it such appeal to me.  Maybe it is a weird affinity but I am going to embrace it.

I also love the chocolate/coffee/cinnamon vein that runs through the cake.  It makes the cake so much more exciting than if it was just a plain bundt cake.  Also, I was super excited my cake came out in one piece.  I have occasionally been a little forceful with the removal of cakes and caused the tops to break off when removed, which is disappointing but usually fixed with frosting.  Anyway, this is a charming delicious easy cake that you should all make.

Cinnamon Mocha Cake

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsps sugar
1 tbsp plus 2 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsps instant espresso powder
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 stick plus 2 tbsps (10 tbsps) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 1/2 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
1. For the cake: Stir 2 tbsps of sugar, 2 1/2 tsps or the cinnamon and the espresso together in a small bowl.
2. Mix remaining 1 tbsp of 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. Whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Gently whisk in flour, remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tbsp cinnamon. Fold in the butter until just absorbed. You'll have a smooth, satiny batter.
3. Scrape half of the batter into well-greased bundt pan (or a 8-inch square baking pan, greased and lined with parchment paper). 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.
4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, 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.
5. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack.
6. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave until just melted. Stir until smooth. 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.

From Baking by Dorie Greenspan
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