There are so many ways to doctor up a box mix and make your own recipe out of it, which is what happened when we decided to try to turn a favorite treat, Snickerdoodles, into a cake. And while we stuck with a regular buttercream frosting, with some cinnamon added in, we’re pretty sure that the addition of cream cheese would be a much better choice (we just happened to have a cream cheese hater in the group). The frosting measurements are a little loosey-goosey, as some folks prefer their buttercream more sweet, and some like it more buttery. Just adjust the measurements to your liking (less butter, more sugar). I do advise starting slow with the cinnamon, it can get overwhelming!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Frosting
- 1/2 – 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 box powdered sugar
- 1 – 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 – 3 tbs. milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 (325 if you’re using dark pans). Combine cake mix, melted butter, milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well-combined. Divide between two greased and floured 8-inch cake pans, and bake for approximately 24 minutes (use the tried-and-true toothpick test to see if cakes are done).
For frosting, cream softened butter, then add vanilla, cinnamon. Add sugar and milk in alternating doses until you get the consistency you want for spreading on the cake. Turn one cake layer upside down on your serving platter (best to lay down some parchment strips, so you can pull them out later and keep your plate looking nice!) and pile on some frosting, spreading to the edges. Place second layer right-side up on top of frosting. Cover cake with a thin layer of frosting, then stick in the fridge for 15 minutes to create a crumb coat (keeps all those little crumbs from getting into the frosting and messing up your cake). Then frost the remainder of the cake (save any leftover frosting to spread on graham crackers!). Since this cake was for Easter, we used some shaved chocolate and white chocolate Cadbury eggs to create a bird’s nest.