Description

Three layers of moist cinnamon swirl cake, frosted with cream cheese, and drizzled with cinnamon goodness. A showstopping dessert!

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Cake Swirl:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Candied Pecans:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, fully at room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Heavy cream, as needed (1 tablespoon at a time)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for cinnamon swirl portion of frosting)

For the Drip:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2-3 teaspoons water, plus more as needed

Instructions

Grease and flour three 6-inch baking pans. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the swirl: mix all swirl ingredients together until fully combined. The mixture will be thick and crumbly — this is normal. Set aside.
Make the cake batter: whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition, then beat for 3–4 minutes more once all eggs are in. Mix the milk and vanilla together in a small cup. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter, starting and ending with flour, mixing until just combined between additions. Finish by hand to avoid over-mixing.
Evenly divide most of the batter among the cake pans, reserving about 1/2 cup. Top the batter in each pan with the swirl mixture, then top the swirl with the reserved batter — it is fine if the swirl is not fully covered.
Bake on the middle rack for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool in pans 15–20 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks. Once completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to assemble.
Make the candied pecans: add butter, pecans, brown sugar, and salt to a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter melts and the pecans begin to toast, watching closely — they can burn quickly. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Make the cream cheese frosting: beat the room-temperature butter and cream cheese together in a stand mixer until smooth and creamy. It is very important that the cream cheese is fully at room temperature — leave it out for several hours if needed. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla and salt. If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency that is still firm enough for drip decoration.
Separate 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the frosting into a separate bowl and mix in the ground cinnamon to make the cinnamon swirl portion.
Level the cooled cake layers as needed. Stack with the cinnamon frosting and candied pecans between layers. Apply a thin crumb coat of the plain frosting over the outside, then freeze until the crumb coat is firm.
Frost the outside of the cake smoothly with the plain frosting. Add random dollops of the cinnamon frosting to the sides and swirl together. Freeze while you make the drip.
Make the drip: stir together the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Add water one teaspoon at a time until the mixture ribbons off a spoon and holds its shape — it should be thick but pourable. Spoon around the top edge and let drip down the sides.
Decorate with cinnamon rolls (store-bought or homemade) and any remaining candied pecans as desired.

Notes

The cream cheese must be fully at room temperature — cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the frosting no matter how long you beat it. If your frosting turns out too soft after assembly, refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes to firm it before adding the drip. The drip needs to be thick enough to hold its shape as it flows.

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American