Cinna-Bomb Pound Cake

Two swirls of cinnamonny goodness lace the yogurt pound cake, adding spicy richness and a touch of homey sweet flavour.

Who doesn't like the sweet, spicy richness of a cinnamon roll, or the luxurious velvety texture of a pound cake? I, for one, cannot resist a cinnamon dessert, and when I found myself with a glut of eggs and yoghurt to use up I knew exactly the dessert to win over the hearts and stomachs of those around me. I'm a fan of loaf cakes in particular for taking into work, because they're easy to slice and serve and have a minimum of fuss and bother - wrapped in a napkin or tucked into a zip-top bag, they are easy snacking on-the-go, which as any teacher can tell you is a major component of the job description! 

I wish I could take all the credit for this delicious recipe, but I have to admit my main inspiration came from another great blogger: Tiffany from Le Creme de la Crumb. Of course, I played around a little bit, upping the spices and doubling the wallop of both vanilla and cinnamon with vanilla flavoured coffee creamer and cinnamon chips in addition to vanilla yoghurt and ground cinnamon. I also tossed in barley flour for a delicate hint of nuttiness that played off all the richness going on in the cake. Once baked, I took one into work for the hungry masses and wrapped the other one in heavy foil and froze until we had company for dinner, where it was enjoyed alongside coffee and a scoop of ice cream. That said, I heard a rumour that the leftover slices made excellent breakfast fare when lightly toasted!

Cinna-Bomb Pound Cake
Makes 2 loaves, 12 slices each

½ cup butter

½ cup shortening

¼ tsp nutmeg

2 cups sugar

1 cup vanilla (or plain) Greek yogurt

1 tbsp vanilla

¼ cup vanilla creamer

6 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup barley or whole wheat flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp coarse raw sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9x5” pans and set aside.
2. In a large bowl beat butter, shortening, nutmeg and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in yogurt, vanilla and creamer.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
5. Add flours and baking soda and mix until just combined.
6. In a small bowl mix cinnamon, 3 tbsp sugar and raw sugar.
7. Pour ⅓ of batter into loaf pans.
8. Sprinkle half of cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter, followed by half the cinnamon chips. Repeat with another third of the remaining batter, the remaining cinnamon sugar and cinnamon chips, and finally the last of the batter.
9. Bake about 50-55 minutes or until edges begin to brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool completely before gently removing from pans.