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Cinnamon Swirl Vanilla Slice

Delicious, moist, light as a feather, squares of vanilla sponge cake infused with a generous amount of a sweetened cinnamon and cardamom salted butter and drizzled with a buttery, vanilla icing. If, like me, you are a massive fan of Cinnamon Rolls but rarely have the time, or remember, to start making them a few hours in advance, this recipe is definitely for you.

Makes 16

Course afternoon tea, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Keyword Cinnamon, slice, vanilla
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Author Susan

Ingredients

Cinnamon Butter:

  • 150g very soft, unsalted butter
  • 2½ tablespoons cinnamon powder
  • ¾ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 60g light brown sugar
  • 60g caster sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt

Vanilla Cake:

  • 130g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 130g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 160g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 20g cornflour/cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 100g sour cream (or natural yoghurt)

Vanilla Icing:

  • 120g/1 cup icing/confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon/15ml melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 – 3 tablespoons/15ml – 45ml milk or cream

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to fan 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line a 20cm/8inch square tin with greaseproof paper.

  3. First, make the Cinnamon Butter – weigh all the ingredients into a bowl and beat with an electric whisk, until light and fluffy. Set aside.

  4. Next, make the Vanilla Slice – weigh the butter into a mixing bowl. It is important that the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat. If it is a little hard, beat it with a whisk before adding the other ingredients. If it is already quite soft, you do not need to do this. For information on softening butter, see here.

  5. Measure all the remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl with the butter. I place my mixing bowl on top my scales and weigh everything in directly.

  6. Use an electric whisk to beat until combined. This should take less than a minute. Half way, use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and ensure even mixing.

  7. Tip half of the cake batter into your lined baking tin and level the surface, ensuring the cake goes into all the corners.

  8. Dot over half of the cinnamon butter and swirl into the cake batter.

  9. Repeat with the remaining cake batter and cinnamon butter.

  10. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 – 60 minutes until cooked. It is cooked when:

    - the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains.

    - a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

    - the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin/dish.

  11. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then, using the greaseproof paper over-hang, remove from the tin onto a wire rack.

  12. Finally, finish with the Vanilla Icing – mix the icing sugar, butter and vanilla extract together.

  13. Slowly add the milk until you achieve a thick, smooth, pouring consistency.

  14. Drizzle over the cinnamon slice 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven.Serve the slice warm or at room temperature. Delicious for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea or as a dessert!

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • mixing bowl x 3
  • balloon whisk or electric whisk
  • 20cm/8inch square tin lined with baking parchment
  • cooling rack

Room Temperature Butter:

It is important to make sure the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat easily with the other ingredients.