A Nearly Dead Dog and a Recipe

I sincerely thought I was going to kill my dog this morning. He's just lucky he didn't commit his crime the day before yesterday.

Today is S's 13th birthday and our family tradition is to start the day off with a birthday cake breakfast. Not just any cake, though. It has to be Cynde's Cinnamon Flop. This cake is ridiculously simple (it has to be--my mom usually sucked as a baker) and amazingly delicious. And my mom made it for us for our birthday breakfast (and loads of other times) every year I can remember. One year she made two for my brother Brent's--one for the 5 of us and one just for him. He took it to his bedroom for safekeeping.

So I thought since S was a teenager now (OMG), I would make him his own. He LOVES this new tradition! He cut his in half and ate it in record time. Meanwhile, I sliced a piece of the other one and took it upstairs to read my morning blogs and snuggle with Annie. Yes, I left them both on top of the stove, but I put one of them (S's) behind some sheet pans and the other one behind a heavy flashlight. I thought they were safe.

S's "slice." Note cinnamony-brown sugar goodness

Then I heard a crash.

But did I think anything of it? Nope. I just assume S broke something and trusted him to clean it up. Until about 20 minutes later when I heard his "Uh-oh."

Here comes the dead dog.

The Pyrex round dish that my mother used every time she made the cake was in a thousand pieces on the floor with the all-but-one-slice whole cake GONE. I felt MURDEROUS. "WHAT DID YOU DO?????" was about the only thing I could do/say. Of course Muttel looked contrite/guilty. Of COURSE they tell us he has no real idea why I was angry because he is a dog. But I honestly think he did know and I was really annoyed to not get an apology. At least he didn't eat the Birthday Boy's cake. At least he had the decency to not lick his lips.

From now on it will make me sad to bake Cynde's Cinnamon Flop in something other than that pan. A little part of me will cry inside the first time I have to. But that cake is so good I won't stop baking it for sentimentality's sake. It's that good.

Right, Muttel?

Cynde's Cinnamon Flop

deceptively delicious, *wildly adaptable


2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

About 1 1/4 cups milk

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 tablespoon cinnamon, or more to taste

1/4 cup brown sugar, or more to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch round Pyrex (*sniff, weep-weep*) pan, or something comparable if you don't have one *gulp* like I don't anymore, with Pam.

For best results, get a pan like this. Well, not exactly like this.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in milk gradually, stirring to combine. Batter should be easily stir-able, but not soupy. Pour into pan.

Dot top with butter bits, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar (really good if some of the brown sugar is in chunks) and then swirl a little with a knife, or better, with a finger (yum!).

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. Let cool (in a safe place) for 15-20 minutes and then serve. This is best if eaten soon after baking because it gets breadier as it cools (not that that's a bad thing!).

Baker's note: I realize there's no vanilla in this. I think the origins of this are some sort of "war cake" so it's pretty humble. I've tried it with vanilla and, believe it or not, found it too cloying.

But that's just me.

*Variations: Add any or all of the following, either sprinkling on top or mixing in:

--Coconut

--Chocolate Chips (or any kind of chip--my kids like it topped with M&M's!)

--Berries (may take a little longer to bake, especially if berries are frozen)

And, believe it or not, my mom has made it without the sugar, topped it with butter and cheese, and served it with chili!

I would LOVE to hear if anyone out there makes this--and makes it their own with some funky add-ons. Cynde would be so proud.