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Tornado Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 141 reviews

This Tornado Cake is a moist, flavorful dessert featuring a beautiful swirled pattern created by combining a cinnamon cocoa mixture with a classic vanilla buttermilk batter. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, this cake combines the richness of cocoa and the warmth of cinnamon in an easy-to-make layered cake that delights both the eyes and the palate.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Batter

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
  • 0.25 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Tornado Swirl Mixture

  • 0.25 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
  2. Mix dry ingredients for batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 1.5 cups granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Add wet ingredients: Stir in the softened unsalted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined without overworking the batter.
  4. Incorporate buttermilk: Gradually add the buttermilk to the mixture, blending until the batter is smooth and well combined but without overmixing to keep the cake tender.
  5. Prepare tornado swirl mixture: In a small bowl, combine the unsweetened cocoa powder, 0.75 cup sugar, and ground cinnamon.
  6. Layer the batter and swirl mixture: Pour about two-thirds of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle the cocoa-cinnamon sugar mixture over this layer.
  7. Add remaining batter: Carefully pour the remaining one-third of the cake batter over the swirl mixture, covering it gently.
  8. Create the tornado effect: Using a knife or skewer, swirl the batter gently to create a tornado pattern. Be careful not to over-swirl to maintain distinct layers.
  9. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  10. Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • Do not overmix the batter to ensure a light and fluffy cake texture.
  • The swirling step is crucial for creating the signature tornado pattern; swirl gently for best results.
  • You can use regular milk plus lemon juice or vinegar to substitute buttermilk if needed.
  • Ensure the pan is properly greased and floured to prevent sticking.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting to maintain clean slices.

Keywords: tornado cake, swirl cake, cinnamon cake, cocoa cake, layered cake, easy dessert, buttermilk cake

Find it online: https://cookwithyana.com/tornado-cake-recipe/