Cinnamon Snacking Cake with Maple Frosting

This cinnamon snacking cake with maple frosting is quick and easy dessert for any occasion. Cinnamon cake is light and spongy, topped with creamy maple buttercream. This cake requires just a handful of pantry ingredients and takes just over 30 minutes to bake. Whip this snacking cake up for a fun weekend bake or for an easy birthday cake, perfect the cinnamon lover.

Whole milk and sour cream make this cake super airy, not dense at all!

Highlights of this easy cake:

• Spongy texture
• Batter comes together easy with simple ingredients
• Maple buttercream is rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet
• Bakes perfectly in an 8″x8″ pan for easy transportation
• Family favorite
• Quick bake time

First Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
• Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer
• Mix in sour cream and egg whites
• Slowly add in dry ingredients
• Stir in milk

Pro tips for failproof cake:

• Grease and parchment line your baking dish, this helps ensure nothing sticks
• Don’t over mix batter
• Use room temperature eggs for even emulsification
• Let cake cool completely before frosting
• Enjoy as soon as possible!

Tools I used for this easy cinnamon cake with maple buttercream recipe:

• KitchenAid 6 Qt. Stand Mixer – I always recommend a stand mixer as it saves time and helps to keep baked goods consistent.
• Rubber Spatula – a must for any home baker! Perfect for scrapping batter out of the mixing bowl.
• USA Pan 8″ Square Pan – another USA Pan product I love! The corners of my bars and cakes never stick and I love the squared of edges this pan creates.

If you like this simple cinnamon cake, you’ll love these other easy desserts…

Easy Salted Caramel Cupcakes From Scratch

Chocolate Snacking Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream

Easy Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Grease and parchment line your baking pan to ensure no cake sticks!

Second Steps:

• Grease and line baking dish
• Transfer batter and even out
• Bake at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean

Grocery Store List & Substitutions:

• Unsalted Butter
• Granulated Sugar
• Egg Whites
• Sour Cream
• Vanilla Extract
• Maple Syrup
• Powdered Sugar
• All-purpose Flour
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Cinnamon
• Whole Milk
• Kosher Salt

Final Steps:

• While the cake cools, whip up your maple buttercream
• Spread frosting over cooled cake
• Slice and enjoy

What can I add to make my cake moist?

Adding whole milk and sour cream to this cake ensures it stays light and moist, while still staying airy and not to dense. The bananas not only add moisture but add a nice sweetness.

What can I do with leftover buttercream?

Leftover maple buttercream can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Let soften at room temperature before using. Use on cakes, cupcakes, or for sandwich cookies.

Instructions for this easy cinnamon snacking cake:

For the cinnamon cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8″x8″ baking pan, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the egg whites, beat on high until combined. Gently mix in the sour cream and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients, mix until incorporated. Add in the milk and mix again until combined.
• Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the maple buttercream:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on high for 2-3 minutes. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until fully combined. Add in the maple syrup, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, mix until fluffy.
• Spread over the cooled cake. Slice and enjoy immediately or store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Did you make this recipe?

I would love to see it! Take a picture and post to Instagram with the tag @theheartylife and the hashtag #theheartylife – You can also leave me a question or comment below! If you’ve tried this recipe, feel free to give it a star rating on the recipe above.