Little Hands, Big Cinnamon Bites

By Alexis Estep, mom, chef, Restonian

Leif enjoying some cake bread while decompressing after school with a game.

School is back in session and routines are back in full swing! Were you able to go to bed early and wake up on time, or was it a bit more difficult? In our house, it was a bit of a struggle! Some of my kids did well; others needed more guidance. The one thing that they all needed to survive was comfort. For them, comfort comes in the form of food, usually something baked, sweet or savory, but fresh from the oven. This week it was cinnamon cake bread. We hope you try this recipe and bring a little comfort to your week!

Cinnamon Cake Bread Ingredients:

• 4½ cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 4 large eggs

• 2 cups buttermilk

• ½ cup sunflower or vegetable oil

The Sweet Topping:

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

Instructions:

• Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a 13 x 9 in a baking pan with parchment.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

• Using a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs together with the buttermilk and oil. Gently stir this wet mixture into your dry ingredients, blending until the batter is smooth.

• In a small dish, mix the topping sugar and cinnamon.

• Pour half of your batter in the pan and then generously sprinkle about half of the

cinnamon-sugar. Layer the rest of the batter on top and finish with the remaining spice mixture.

• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If needed, bake another 5 minutes.

• Allow the cake bread to rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve warm.