Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

CINNAMON BREAKFAST CAKE

(Serves 16)

This is the perfect cake for making ahead of time when you’ve got company coming for the weekend or when you’re headed down to the Cape or up to New Hampshire. It contains a little more vegetable oil than most recipes, but it adds a lot of moisture and contributes to its rich, dense crumb. And by adding the pecans first, they have a chance to toast against the hot edges of the pan and become more flavorful as the cake bakes. A pure delight on a Sunday morning when “calories” don’t count.

Filling and cake:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 package plain yellow cake mix without pudding
1 package (4 serving size) vanilla instant sugar-free pudding mix
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons of milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a Bundt pan with vegetable spray and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour.

2. For filling, place the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir until well combined.

3. Sprinkle the pecans in the bottom of the pan. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes more. Batter should be thick and smooth. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan. Scatter half of the filling evenly over the batter. Pour another 1/3 of the batter evenly over the filling. Scatter the remaining filling over the batter and top with the remaining batter. Smooth it out with a rubber spatula.

4. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed – about 58-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack. Allow to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile prepare the glaze. Place the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Place the cooled cake on a serving platter and spoon the glaze over the top so that it drizzles down the sides and into the center of the cake. Slice and serve.