Surely you can’t have afternoon tea without a morsel of sweetness to serve alongside it! And no teatime morsel can quite compare to the terrific taste of Afternoon Cake! A delicately tender and rich butter cake with a delightful cinnamon sugar topping; every slice of Afternoon Cake is just waiting to be plated next to a steaming mug of black tea! Or green tea! Or no tea at all! The afternoon is yours to do with as you please, and so is Afternoon Cake!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk
For topping:
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, beat 1 stick of the butter, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at time, beating briefly after each addition. Don’t worry if the mixture appears lumpy.
Step 5 –Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 6 –In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, the baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt together.
Step 7 –Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and the milk into the butter mixture and use an electric mixer on low speed to slowly combine them.
Step 8 –Add the remaining flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the batter is smooth and creamy.
Step 9 –Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 10 –Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 11 –While the cake is still warm, generously brush over the top of it with the remaining melted butter.
Step 12 –Sprinkle the cake with the remaining cinnamon and the remaining sugar.
Step 13 –Slice and serve warm.
