How to Make Cinnamon Roll Cake

There are two things in life that are perfect, in my opinion: cake and cinnamon rolls. I can't get enough of either. So when I saw Chef-in-Training put together this recipe for cinnamon roll cake, I thought it would make an ideal breakfast option for an out-of-town guest. Before you start gathering your ingredients, though, I must warn you of two things:

#1) This is baked in a 9x13 pan, which will make more than enough! The three of us could barely tackle a third of it so if you're planning on making it, make sure enough people are there to enjoy it (or be prepared for leftovers!)

#2) When it's right out of the oven, it tastes exactly like nirvana. Absolute bliss and perfection. You have been warned.

To get started, here what you'll need for...

The cake
3 cups of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of melted butter

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The cinnamon swirl topping
1 cup of softened butter
1 cup of brown sugar
2 Tablespoons of flour
1 Tablespoon of cinnamon

The glaze (totally optional but I recommend it!)
2 cups of powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Start by preheating your oven to 350 and spraying the inside of your 9x13 pan with PAM or some other cooking spray. In your mixer combine all of the cake ingredients, leaving the melted butter for last.

Once everything is combined, add it to your pan.

 

Next comes the topping. In the same bowl (unless you like doing dishes, you can use a separate bowl), mix all of the topping ingredients until it's creamy. Take your Tablespoon and drop spoonfuls of the topping into the cake batter.

Take a knife and start swirling it around until the topping is evenly distributed. Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean).

While the cake is baking, you can make your glaze. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract with a whisk until thoroughly combined.

Once the cake is out of the oven, evenly distribute the glaze over the top of the cake.

Cut the cake (be careful if you can't wait - it'll be quite warm!) and devour. It is so fantastically good while warm but if you refrigerate it and eat it cold, it's just as yummy! It's still moist and not dried out!

Right out of the oven with the cinnamon oogy-gooeyness

After being in the fridge overnight - just as delicious!

TOTAL COSTS: About $22 (if you don't have any of the ingredients - prices from Vons)
$3.29 for flour
$.99 for salt
$2.69 for sugar
$1.99 for baking powder
$2.29 for milk
$2.79 for eggs
$.99 for butter
$4.79 for cinnamon
$2.49 for powdered sugar
Vanilla extract and brown sugar made from scratch

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: About 50 minutes

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
The "hardest" thing might be just making sure it doesn't burn but really, 35-40 minutes should do the trick. Other than that, it's just a matter of following direction (thought I doubt you need instructions for the "enjoying" part!

Mini Egg and Spinach Quiches

So I bought this mini muffin tin from Bed, Bath & Beyond and was trying to think of what I could use it for. The mini donuts post I did was a big hit, but what would be a healthier breakfast item? I stumbled upon this post from TwoPeasAndTheirPod and thought it was perfect - mini egg quiches! It's so versatile because you can add/remove whatever ingredients you like.

To start things off, gather your ingredients. I used:


4 egg whites (instead of 5)
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup of milk (I used 2% but skim works too)
1/4 cup of chopped spinach
1/4 cup of shredded cheese (Cheddar, Mexican blend, you name it!)
Salt and pepper
2 red potatoes (I added this instead of adding a meat, like sausage or bacon)

Note that this will be enough to make 12 mini quiches or 6 regular muffin tin quiches.


Start by preheating your oven to 350 and whisk together your egg whites, eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

Chop up your spinach and add it to your egg mixture, then pour into your mini muffin tin (I found it worked best to use the 1/4 cup or a spoon to pour into the tin). Try not to have them filled to the top, since you're going to be adding more ingredients and you don't want them to spill over!

Next, sprinkle cheese on top. The more cheese, the better I say!

Feel free to add chopped up pieces of potatoes, sausage, peppers, onions, whatever your heart desires! Be careful, though, not to let it spill over.

Stick in the oven for 20 minutes and very carefully remove them from the tin using a knife or fork (so you don't burn yourself). My husband and I decided to eat these for dinner one night and we were full, so 12 mini quiches can definitely fill up 2 people!

Add some hot sauce, ranch, or ketchup or put them in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer for later so you can pop in the microwave for an easy breakfast anytime!

TOTAL COSTS: $10 (+ 2lbs. of potatoes - optional)
$2.79 for eggs
$2.29 for milk
$1.99 for spinach
$2.99 for shredded cheese
$4.49 for 2 lbs. of red potatoes (and I only used 2 potatoes)

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 35 minutes
15 minutes of prep
20 minutes of baking

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
This is something I could easily make again and save for later - they're not messy to eat, a great source of healthy vegetables and protein, and are quick and easy to make!

St. Patrick's Pancakes and Waffles

I'll admit, today's post is pretty self-explanatory. Pancake mix + food coloring = a St. Patty's Day breakfast (if you're not into the whole Guinness before 8am thing). But here's a thought: what if you saw green pancakes on Pinterest like these from ThoughtfullySimple and wondered if that's how they actually turn out? Or maybe you want to try waffles instead? Or maybe you want to try neon green food coloring? See, today's post won't be a complete waste!

Whether you make your pancakes from scratch or from a mix, whip up a batch and start stirring. I made two different batches - one with regular green food coloring (which turned out mint green) and one with neon green food coloring (which turned out light greenish/yellow.  Both should be available at your local grocery store. The neon green looks great for making slime but really doesn't have the same effect as regular food coloring. I used 10 drops of food coloring for each.

 

Another thing to note: the original post shows bright green pancakes that barely look like they touched a hot surface.. Here's an example of what it'll look like if you use a little PAM and a lot of PAM:

So you don't really see the color until you cut into them or look at the sides. Just something to consider when making these - it never turns out like the original!

 And the neon green waffles?  They just looked yellow.

If you have Wilton food coloring gel, your color will surely be more vibrant than if you use McCormick food coloring... but honestly, which are you more likely to have on hand?

Moral of the story: don't always believe everything you see on the internet.

TOTAL COSTS: Depends on if making by scratch or mix

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 10 minutes
Of course, this varies on how much you're planning on making

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
Unless you've never made pancakes or waffles in your life, this should be a piece 'o cake for you and your wee ones!