Gooey Cinnamon Cake

This cake is sooo good. But how can any dessert with "gooey" in the title not be a sign of good things to come? It may not look like much, but underneath that cinnamon-sugar topping is a sugar cookie base with a sweet, gooey topping that just melts in your mouth. The little squares are all too addicting.

Ingredients:

Cookie Base:

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder 

1/4 tsp. salt

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

Soft Gooey Layer:

1/4 cup light corn syrup or golden syrup

1/4 cup milk or heavy cream

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. white sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Topping:

2 Tbsp. white sugar

1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions: 

Line a 9- by 13-inch cake pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two or on all four sides. Spray the foil or parchment paper in the pan with nonstick spray or brush with melted butter.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

To make the cookie base, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and in a small bowl. Beat the butter and the sugar in the bowl of stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand, until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the egg and the milk and mix in, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients, until fully incorporated. Put the mixture in the cake pan in dollops (it’s too thick to spread if you add it all in the same place), and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.

To make the soft gooey layer, in a small bowl, whisk together the corn syrup or golden syrup with the milk or cream, and vanilla.

Beat the 12 tablespoons of butter with the sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add one-third of the flour, then half of the milk/corn syrup mixture. Add another one-third of the flour, then the rest of the milk/corn syrup mixture. Then stir in the remaining flour. Dollop the batter over the unbaked cookie layer and spread evenly.

Mix together the 2 Tbsp. of sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it evenly over the cake.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes, or until the cake feels slightly damp, but gently set in the center. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When cool, lift out the cake using the overhang of the foil, and cut the cake into 1-inch squares.

*Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz who adapted from Smitten Kitchen