Makes: 16 servings
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
⅔ cup ( 132 g) dark brown sugar
1 tbsp McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Saigon Cinnamon
Cake
2 cups (240 g) cake and pastry flour
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
⅔ cup (150 g) unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup whole milk, divided
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sour cream
Cream Cheese Filling
1 cup (250 g) cream cheese
Frosting
2 cups (240 g) icing sugar
¾ cup (190 g) cream cheese, cold
¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of table salt
1 to 2 tablespoons sour cream, optional
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Grease an 8 x 8-inch pan with butter and line with parchment. (The butter helps the parchment stay in place.)
3. To make the cinnamon sugar mixture: Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, breaking up any large clumps with your fingers. Set aside.
4. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl.
5. Add the butter and ⅓ cup milk to the flour mixture. Beat on low speed with an electric hand mixer until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 40 to 50 seconds.
6. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, and remaining ⅓ cup milk together in a medium bowl.
7. Add ⅓ of the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Repeat 2 more times with the rest of the egg mixture, being careful not to overmix. It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps in it.
8. To make cream cheese filling: Cut cream cheese into ½-inch x ¼-inch rectangles. Wet knife slightly if cream cheese sticks to it.
9. Fold the cream cheese bits gently into the batter with a spatula. (Do this in 3 additions to avoid them sticking together. ) Again, don’t overmix!
10. Spread half the batter evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan and sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture over it. Top with the remaining batter and spread that out in an even layer. Cover with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
11. Draw 6 figure-eights in the cake with a bamboo skewer, rotating the cake after each one to create a marble pattern. You won’t see the pattern so much on top, but rather on the inside when you cut into the baked cake. (Approach this marbling with a light touch so that the cinnamon sugar mixture doesn’t become TOO mixed in and turn the cake brown.)
12. Bake the cake until the edges start to pull away from the sides and a cake tester comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. (If your tester hits a piece of cream cheese it may seem like it’s not done, so test in a few places to be sure.)
13. Let cake cool slightly in pan until set, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
14. To make the frosting: Beat the icing sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt together with the electric hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 min. If the frosting seems stiff, beat in 1 tablespoon of sour cream, or more as needed. Alternatively, adjust with icing sugar for a firmer frosting.
15. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the cake.
16. Enjoy!