Easy Churro Cake

This churro cake is a small one layer vanilla cake swirled with a cinnamon spice filling and coated in cinnamon and sugar.  The cake is made without a box mix and is soft, fluffy and quick and easy to make.

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Churros are full of nostalgia!  Whether you ate them at birthday parties, at the county fair or with chocolate dipping sauce at a Mexican restaurant, I think most of us have at least one or two fond memories of this dessert.  We aren’t a big Disney family, but we always have to eat at least one churro while at Disneyland.

Since cake recipes from scratch are always a winner in my book, I’ve got this nostalgic churro inspired cake for you.  As a busy mama and lifetime baker, I made sure this one is super easy to make, much like my graham cracker cake, chocolate snack cake and raspberry almond cake.

I also share step-by-step photos and also a video on how to swirl in the cinnamon sugar filling.

💭 what does churro cake taste like?

This churro inspired cake is a moist vanilla cake with a cinnamon spice filling that gets swirled into the cake batter; yielding a soft and tender cake.  Instead of having to decorate with frosting, it has a slightly crunchy cinnamon sugar coating similar to a traditional churro.  It has all the sweet cinnamon sugar flavor without the deep fried texture.

🛒 ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

All-purpose flour ~ Too much flour can result in a dense churro cake. A kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure. If using measuring cups; fluff the flour in the container first. Then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.

Baking powder ~ to help the cake rise and have a nice soft texture.

Unsalted butter ~ if you only have salted butter, leave out the kosher salt. Needs to be at room temperature. A tablespoon of melted butter is used for helping the cinnamon sugar topping stick to the cake.

Kosher salt ~ to balance the sweetness.  If you only have table salt, use half the amount.

Sugars ~ granulated sugar is used for the cake, the filling and the cinnamon sugar coating. Brown sugar {you can use dark or light} is used in the filling.

Eggs ~ two large eggs are needed at room temperature.

Vanilla ~ I prefer pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.

Milk ~ I use 1% milk, but 2% or whole milk can be substituted.  For the best results, have the milk at room temperature before baking.

Sour cream ~ making cakes with sour cream brings extra moisture by working to shorten the gluten strands in the flour, which results in a tender and soft cake crumb. For the best cake, use full fat sour cream and bring it to room temperature.  Plain Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute.

Ground cinnamon ~ you can’t have a churro inspired cake without cinnamon!  Used in the filling and coating.

🥣 how to make this one layer cake

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, ground cinnamon and all-purpose flour and mix together. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment {or using a hand-held mixer}, cream together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar and kosher salt. Scrape the bowl at least once during the creaming process.

Scrape up and down the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla, mixing on medium-high until combined. The mixture can look a bit curdled here, but don't let it worry you.

Scrape the bowl again and add the sour cream and baking powder and mix until combined.

With the mixer on low slowly add the flour and mix until some large streaks of flour remain. Scrape up and down the bowl.

Then with the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the milk mixing until the batter just comes together. Use a spatula to do a final stir or two.

Pour/spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Take the cinnamon swirl filling and spread it in an even layer over the cake batter.

Top with the remaining half of the batter and use an off-set spatula to spread the batter over the filling. The batter is thick, so work slowly.  Then use the off-set spatula or a knife to swirl the batter and filling together; then smooth the batter and drop the pan on the counter once or twice.

Bake the churro cake in the preheated oven, then allow to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack.

Once the cake is cool, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

🎥 step-by-step video

💬 frequently asked questions

how do I know when it’s done baking?

This churro cake will be done baking when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.  It should take about 25-30 minutes.

can I make this in a different size pan?

Yes, if you prefer a round cake pan, a 9-inch pan can be used.  If you only have an 8-inch round cake pan, the cake will be a little taller and will need a little more time to bake.  See the recipe card notes below for how to prepare the cake pan.

I did not test it, but don’t see why you couldn’t double the recipe and bake this cake recipe as a 9x13 sheet cake.

👩🏻‍🍳 tips for the best homemade cake

Use a scale to measure your ingredients for the best results. If you do not have a kitchen scale, see the notes in the ingredient section on how to measure the flour.

For the perfect crumb, use full fat sour cream.  It gives the churro cake more flavor and moisture.

Don't over mix the cake batter. Use low speed when combining the wet and dry ingredients and mix until everything is just combined. I usually stop when just a few streaks of dry ingredients remain and use a spatula to finish the mixing.

The cake batter is thick so an off-set spatula works great to smooth it into the pan.

Don't over bake the cake. Remember your oven is different from mine and baking times may vary a little. The easy churro cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the cinnamon sugar coating. 

🫙 how to store

The churro cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

The cake can also be frozen; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost and come to room temperature before serving.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make this Easy Churro Cake. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

📖 recipe

Continue to Content

Yield: 9 -12 servings

Easy Churro Cake

Print

This churro cake is a small one layer vanilla cake swirled with a cinnamon spice filling and coated in cinnamon and sugar. It's soft, fluffy and quick and easy to make.

I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Bake Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Cinnamon swirl filling

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar (50g)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (about 3g)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8g)

vanilla cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (10mL)
• ¼ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (60g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (9g)
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188g)
• ½ cup milk*, room temperature (120mL)

cinnamon sugar coating

• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (14g)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8** baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar (¼ cup/50g), ground cinnamon (2 teaspoons/about 3g) and all-purpose flour (1 tablespoon/8g) and mix together. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand-held mixer), cream together the unsalted butter (½ cup/113g), granulated sugar (¾ cup/150g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon). Start on low and once incorporated increase to medium-high (6 on a KitchenAid) and cream until light, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl at least once during the creaming process.
4. Scrape up and down the bowl and add the eggs (2 large) and vanilla (2 teaspoons), mixing on medium-high until combined, about 1-2 minutes. The mixture may look curdled at the point, but don't let it worry you.
5. Scrape the bowl again and add the sour cream (¼ cup/60g) and baking powder (2 teaspoons/9g) and mix on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) until combined about 30-60 seconds.
6. With the mixer on low (stir on KitchenAid) slowly add the flour (1 ½ cups/188g) and mix until some large streaks of flour remain. Scrape up and down the bowl.
7. Then with the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the milk (½ cup/120mL); stop when about half the milk is mixed in and scrape the bowl. Turn the mixer back on low and slowly drizzle in the remaining milk, mixing until the batter just comes together. Use a spatula to do a final stir or two.
8. Pour/spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Take the cinnamon swirl filling and spread it in an even layer over the cake batter. Top with the remaining half of the batter and use an off-set spatula to spread the batter over the filling. The batter is thick, so work slowly.  Then use the off-set spatula or a knife to swirl the batter and filling together; then smooth the batter and drop the pan on the counter once or twice. (this helps to remove any air bubbles)
9. Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire cooling rack.
10. Once the cake is cool, use the parchment to remove the cake from the pan.
11. In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar (¼ cup/50g) and cinnamon (½ teaspoon). Brush the melted butter (1 tablespoon/14g) over the top and sides of the cake and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
12. Slice and serve.

Notes

*I use 1% milk, but 2% or whole milk can also be used.

**The cake can also be baked in a 9-inch round. If using a 9-inch round, butter the pan, line with parchment paper and butter again.

Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. The churro cake can also be frozen; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost and come to room temperature before serving.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red
• 
  PaperChef Parchment Paper for Baking: Multipurpose Nonstick Parchment Sheets, Oven Safe, No Grease or Butter Needed, Ideal for Cooking and Roasting, Biodegradable, Kosher-Certified (205 sq ft roll)
• 
  USA Pan Bakeware Square Cake Pan, 8 inch, Nonstick & Quick Release Coating, Made in the USA from Aluminized Steel

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 155mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

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