Enjoy a slice or two of this easy to make Cinnamon Buttermilk Loaf. Deliciously soft, filled and topped with cinnamon sugar, just so perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
Cinnamon truly has such great flavour, from using it in pancakes, apple pie to cinnamon buns, it really is amazing. Now adding it in this Cinnamon Buttermilk Loaf is just as delicious. It is so easy to make and has incredible flavour, making it a great bake.
As for buttermilk, I am a HUGE fan of using buttermilk in baking. It gives baked goods a beautiful soft texture and taste. Using it in this loaf is no different, creating a soft and tender crumb.
If however, you do not have buttermilk, you can still make this loaf by using ONE of the following as a substitute
Substitute for buttermilk
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
- Use 1 cup plain unflavored yogurt
Making the cinnamon buttermilk loaf
Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment/baking paper.
In a bowl mix together ⅓ cup sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon and set aside.
Using a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add the egg and buttermilk and beat until well incorporated.
Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda / baking soda and mix well.
Spoon ½ of the batter into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle ½ of the cinnamon sugar over the batter.
Cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle the top of the batter with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven of 350°F / 180°C for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan.
Deliciously easy right AND there is no frosting needed ….just prepare, bake and eat
Storage
At room temperature: This cake will stay good at room temperature (on the counter) for around 4 days. Just make sure it's well wrapped or stored in an airtight container to keep it from drying out.
In the freezer: If you want, you can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Once it's completely cool, wrap it up in a few layers of plastic wrap and then wrap it again with aluminum foil.
To defrost: When you are ready to enjoy a few more slices, let the cake thaw at room temperature while still wrapped up.
ENJOY ♥
Cinnamon Buttermilk Loaf
Ingredients
FOR THE CINNAMON SUGAR MIXTURE ( FILLING AND TOPPING )
- ⅓ cup / 68g white granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon powder
FOR THE CINNAMON BUTTERMILK LOAF
- ½ cup / 115g butter softened
- 1 cup / 200g white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup / 250ml buttermilk SEE NOTE 1
- 2 cups / 240g all purpose / cake flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda / baking soda
Instructions
FOR THE CINNAMON SUGAR MIXTURE ( FILLING AND TOPPING )
- In a bowl mix together sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
FOR THE CINNAMON BUTTERMILK LOAF
- Grease and line a 22 x 13 cm / 9 x 5″ loaf pan with parchment / baking paper.
- Using a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add the egg and buttermilk and beat until well incorporated.
- Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda / baking soda and mix well.
- Spoon ½ of the batter into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle ½ of the cinnamon sugar over the batter.
- Cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle the top of the batter with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven of 350°F / 180°C for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan.
Storage
- At room temperature: This cake will stay good at room temperature (on the counter) for around 4 days. Just make sure it's well wrapped or stored in an airtight container to keep it from drying out.
- In the freezer: If you want, you can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Once it's completely cool, wrap it up in a few layers of plastic wrap and then wrap it again with aluminum foil.
- To defrost: When you are ready to enjoy a few more slices, let the cake thaw at room temperature while still wrapped up.
Notes
Nutrition
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
This looks incredible, Ashika! I love cinnamon, especially when it's cold out--like right now :). I'll have to try this one soon!
Laura says
Ashika, I love love love anything cinnamon! This would be wonderful Christmas morning, too! So easy to put together! And, like you, I love baking with buttermilk - it adds so much texture and yummm!
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
I too adore cinnamon, it has such a wonderful flavour.
Alex says
Do you have to use cake flour?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Alex, you can use all-purpose or plain flour for the recipe as well. 🙂
Afsana says
Hi Ashika.the recipe states 1 cup buttermilk/125ml.just wanted to say that 1 cup is equal to 250ml and not 125ml.please correct me if I am wrong.thank you.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Afsana, Sorry about the confusion and thank you for pointing out that error to me. Yes you are correct, 1 cup is equal to 250ml.
I have corrected and updated the recipe. 🙂
Anjani Devi says
Looks yummy
will surely tr y this out
Judy says
If you love the Costco cinnamon bread,this recipe is even better!
The Gardening Foodie says
Aww, Thank you, Judy 🙂
Candice says
Super delicious!! Moist and heavenly.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Candice... thank you 🙂
Jos Fox says
Made this today, no leftovers! Delicious! Will make again adding raisins I think 🙂
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Jos, Thank you for letting me know how this loaf turned out and I am so glad that you like the recipe too 🙂
Indi says
I made it, still baking, waiting to taste!!!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi, Indi...that is great, I would love to know how it turned out 🙂
Eilis says
Just some feedback on this recipe. It turned out delicious and moist. Both the adults and kids both loved it. It took 55 mins in my fan assisted oven and next time I would reduce the sugar amount from 1/2 cup to a 1/3. Thanks so much for posting. Looking forward to trying the lemon squares when I get the correct tin. Out of curiosity can you bake them in a loaf tin!?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Eilis 🙂 Thank you for your feedback on this loaf. I am so glad that you and your family enjoyed this bake too 🙂
Regarding your question about the lemon squares: If you really want to bake these as soon as possible and not able to get a square tin then it all depends on the size of your loaf pan. It should not be too narrow. The shortbread base and lemon topping will definitely be thicker if baked in a loaf pan as compared to that of using the tin specified in the recipe.
If you have any shallow oven-safe dish which is approximately 8 inches, then that should work just fine. Even a round or rectangular cake pan will work perfectly.
I hope that this helps answer your question and will love to know how it turns out too 🙂
DORIS says
HI ASHIKA, I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD USE A CUP OF CHOPPED NUTS OR CHOPPED APPLES? WANT TO MAKE THIS BREAD TOMORROW . THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT RECIPE. DORIS
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Doris 🙂 You are welcome and it is great that you are making this recipe tomorrow.
Chopped nuts or apples will make a great addition to this loaf, so yes go ahead and give it a try. However, a cup of either of these ingredients might be a bit much. I would suggest that you rather scale it down to between a quarter or half a cup of chopped nuts or apples. Adding too much may result in a dense bake.
I hope that this answers your question and would love to know how it turns out too 🙂
Eilis says
Great Ashika. I appreciate the advise. I will have to start measuring my tins. I will let you know how it goes!
Maithili says
Hi Ashika, this recipe is great, I tried it recently.
The only thing I found slightly challenging was that while cutting it, it was very crumbly as the cinnamon sugar topping gets quite flaky once baked. How can I make the slicing process smoother such that it doesn’t crumble? I understand this is quite a delicate cake. Thanks
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Maithili. Thank you, I am so glad that you loved this recipe too 🙂
Regarding your question: It is actually best to slice the cake once completely cool. It is firmer at this stage and will have neater and smoother slices.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂
Maithili says
Thanks Ashika. Will do..
today I’m baking this loaf for a family member so won’t get to cut it, however I will make sure to cool it completely before packaging it.
This is only the second time I’m making this cake - I realised when I add the egg and buttermilk to the creamed sugar / butter mix, the batter looks a bit split... is that normal? Ofcourse when I added the flour it all came together fine.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Maithili,
To answer your question: Yes it is normal for the mixture to look that way because of the consistency of the buttermilk. Once it has been mixed, the batter should look smooth.
I hope that this helps to answer your question 🙂
Pauline salpetrier says
Thank you for sharing the yummy recipe
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Pauline 🙂 Thank you.
You are welcome 🙂
yas says
Lovely taste and texture
Rachael says
Hello! Could one add pumpkin to this recipe? If so would I need to decrease the butter or buttermilk and add pumpkin in its place?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Rachael, Sure, you can add pumpkin puree to this recipe. To do that, use only ½ cup (125ml) of buttermilk and ¼ cup (57g) softened butter. The pumpkin should be stirred in with the buttermilk and egg.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂
Sk says
I see at the top to mix “ In a bowl mix together ⅓ cup sugar and ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon and set aside.”. But in the ingredient list it says 1 1/2 teaspoons - which one should I follow?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Sk, sorry about that, I have corrected and updated the recipe. It should read 1 1/2 teaspoons 🙂
Helen King says
This cake is amazing!! I bake a lot and this is now my current favourite. It’s so easy and the result is like something you would buy at costa or Starbucks ..... but this tastes better. Added bonus, it makes your house smell so good whilst cooking and for ages after (according to my husband who came in two hours after I’d made it).
Thanks for the recipe, all my family will be getting one of these this week 😃.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Helen, Thank you for your kind words 🙂 I am so glad that you and your husband love this recipe too:)
Your family has some delicious bakes to look forward to this week 🙂
Happy Baking 🙂
Lucy says
First time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and it was excellent. The next time instead of using buttermilk I used Liberty Greek yogout with vanilla bean and added a streusel topping. It was amazing.
Lana says
THIS CAKE IS INCREDIBLE! So moist and never lasts long in my house haha. Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Lana, thank you and you are welcome 🙂
I am so glad that you and your family love and enjoy this cake too 🙂
Nicole says
Made this cake today and it's lovely! It's moist and most importantly very tasty! The cinnamon is the perfect amount and not overpowering. I do have a question, the top layer of cinnamon went quite hard and was falling apart everywhere. Is this normal or did I put way too much on the top? I put the amount listed 🙂
Thanks for this lovely recipe, will definitely be making it again!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Nicole, That's great :)Thank you for sharing how the recipe turned out.
To answer your question: You can cut down on the cinnamon sprinkled on the top of the cake. Rather use the majority of it in the middle layer.
Another reason, that the cinnamon became hard and dry could be the heat of your oven. Try placing the cake on a lower shelf of your oven the next time you bake this cake. You can also cover the top of the cake loosely with heavy foil halfway towards the end of the baking time. Make sure that the foil does not touch the batter. Just create a dome shape and place it over the baking pan. This will ensure that the top of the cake does not harden or burn.
I hope this helps answer your question 🙂
Jill F says
Just made this and it's fantastic. It's great with coffee but we also warmed slices in the microwave and ate it as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
It took slightly longer to bake than suggested in our (fan-assisted) oven - 60 minutes.
Going to make another one tomorrow!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Jill, Thank you for giving my recipe a try 🙂
I am really glad that you are enjoying this bake too 🙂
mo says
hi! I'm excited to make this recipe. I'm wondering how long the loaf will last? I'd like to make it for a friend ahead of time, but I won't be seeing her until Thursday.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi, Mo, I would say for the best taste, texture and freshness, this cake can be made at least one day in advance. So perhaps Wednesday would be perfect to bake this cake. Allow it to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Happy baking 🙂
Julie says
I just made this, it’s in the oven! I made a similar recipe years ago but lost track of it. Both my husband and I love cinnamon so I hope it tastes as great as it sounds. 😊🥣☕️Thanks for sharing this recipe. Have a great weekend!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Julie, You are welcome and thank you for giving my recipe a try 🙂
Hope you having a great weekend too 🙂
Happy baking 🙂
Victoria says
Made this today to use all of an open bottle of buttermilk. What a lovely texture! I cut the sugar to 1/2 c without it altering the rise or texture. Absolutely delicious. Will surely make this again!
Christina says
Could you kindly post what size loaf pan you recommend for this? Many thanks.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Christina, for this recipe I use a 22 x 13 cm / 9 x 5″ loaf pan. I have updated the recipe to include this information 🙂
Happy baking 🙂
Jan M says
I’ve just made this loaf-I adore cinnamon-it’s literally in the oven right now! I’ve used self-raising flour, as I didn’t have enough plain. I omitted the bicarbonate of soda as the self-raising already has it in-we shall see how it turns out!!
tracy says
Hi Ashika
I have made this loaf on three different occasions now, the result is always perfect. Thank You so very much for sharing this beautiful cinnamon loaf with all of us, it is delicious.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Tracy, thank you and you are absolutely welcome:)
I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying this recipe too 🙂
Michelle says
Absolutely delicious buttermilk loaf recipe! The bread became more tasty every day, so moist and perfect 🥰
Valerie says
Great cake - very easy. I also found it needed to bake closer to an hour. Used more cinnamon than called for and I think next time I would use a little less sugar mixed with the cinnamon. Will definitely make again.
Ida says
Hello
I followed the instructions and baked for 40 minutes in my fan assisted oven at 175
Skewers came out clean but load is very dense and low.
While making the batter I noticed it was quite dense too.
Any ideas what could have gone wrong?
Thank you
The Gardening Foodie says
Hello Ida, sorry to hear that the cake turned out dense. There could be a few reasons why this happened, so let's see if we can fix it and prevent it next time you try this bake
1. Baking soda: Check that your baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is not expired. And make certain that you are using baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), not baking powder in this recipe. When this ingredient has expired, it does not work to produce a fluffy texture creating a dense cake. To check your baking soda, just add a 1/4 teaspoon to a Tablespoon of vinegar. If it begins to become fizzy, then its fine to use. If no reaction occurs, its not going to work in the cake. Make certain that you use a level teaspoon of baking soda in the cake. Not heaped.
2.Sift your dry ingredients to incorporate air into the mixture. Don't overmix your ingredients. Mix until just combined.
3. If you are finding the batter dense: add a tablespoon of oil to the batter. It will not affect how the other ingredients work. The oil will lighten the batter, producing a less dense texture.
4. Bake immediately after mixing. If the cake batter is left out of the oven too long, air can escape completely, which can lead to a much flatter cake.
I hope this helps 🙂
Happy baking 🙂
Ida says
Thank you 😊
I will investigate if it was baking soda or powder I put in!
Everything else I pretty much did so it must be the culprit 😃
MC says
It is in the oven now. As there are only two of us, can I freeze part of the loaf? Also, how do I store it in between eating it? Refrigerated or on counter?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi, sure you can freeze part of the loaf.
Here are the storage instructions:
This cake will stay good at room temperature (on the counter) for around 4 days. Just make sure it's well wrapped or stored in an airtight container to keep it from drying out.
If you want, you can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Once it's completely cool, wrap it up in a few layers of plastic wrap and then wrap it again with aluminum foil.
When you are ready to enjoy a few more slices, let the cake thaw at room temperature while still wrapped up.
Happy baking 🙂