Cinnamon Cake Squares

Adapted from Baking from my Home to Yours
Yield: 16 pieces

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup whole, organic milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 tablspoons (5 oz.) unsalted, organic butter, melted and cooled
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped small

For the frosting:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chipped
2 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted, organic butter, cut into 4 pieces

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Butter an 8″ square baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment. Set on a baking sheet.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and the expresso powder in a bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoons of cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine. Fold in the melted butter to the batter.

Add half of the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter and then the cinnamon, sugar, espresso mixture (I actually added half of the chocolate to the batter). Spread the rest of the batter over the chocolate mixture.

Bake for about 40 minutes (check it after 35 minutes). Cool on a wire rack. Invert the cake after 30 minutes and remove the parchment. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting: Place the chocolate and the butter in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. When melted, let cool before spreading over cooled cake. Allow the frosting to set on top of the cake, then cut into squares.

 

- Recipe courtesy of Susan Salzman