Recipe: Easy Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free [Sponsored]

Photograph copyright Zach Nelson, Ireland Studios

An elevation, a surprise, a little something different - that’s exactly what this recipe delivers.

Easy Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream is a gloriously chocolatey chocolate cupcake with buttercream and when you bite into its lusciousness, you think: “Hmm, there’s something else in there, some flavor, some note that is familiar and yet I’m seeing it anew. Cinnamon!”

Cinnamon adds a touch of warmth, a soupcon of elegance, a hint of the exotic and drives the chocolate train just a little off course, to a new adventure in deliciousness.

This cake will charm your loved ones for Valentine’s Day and will delight *you* if you’re having a self-love V-day. Below are my recipes notes and recipe.

Recipe Notes:

This recipe is free from: gluten, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts. Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake may have soy.  I use cow’s milk and butter.

I tried this recipe a few different times with differing amounts of heat. Here are some permutations if you want to try something different from my recipe below:

--2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne in cake batter

--1  teaspoon cinnamon in cake batter with a 1 shake of cinnamon and a shake of cayenne in frosting

I made Hershey's One-Bowl Buttercream exactly as written by them, it’s reprinted below.

They suggest for a light chocolate flavor, use 1/3 cup cocoa; for a dark chocolate flavor, use ¾  cup cocoa. The middle amount, ½ cup cocoa was delightful to my taste buds and my taste testers.

I used Enjoy Life Foods Mega Chunks in the cake batter to make this a triple chocolate cake situation. Oh my! I threw in two handfuls and it was the right amount for me. Add as many or as little as you like. Enjoy Life Foods mini-chips would be perfect in this batter, too!

I used Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake. These are the ingredients and the directions as of February 2018.

I made cupcakes. I like cupcakes because it’s easier to transport and share, they are great portion control and I can frost to individual tastes, too. I made 16 cupcakes out of one mix; it says 12, I got 16. Go figure. No complaints here.

I used Fairway’s organic large eggs.

I used Nielsen-Massey vanilla.

I used Horizon Organic butter.

I used Hershey’s cocoa.

I used Domino’s confectioners sugar.

I used 2% Lactaid milk.

I used Simply Organics ground cinnamon.

I bought all of my ingredients at Fairway Market in Manhattan. Fairway Market graciously sponsored the making of these Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Thank you, Fairway Market! (*Here are my policies regarding my sponsored posts.*) 

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Recipe: Easy Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free

Photograph copyright Zach Nelson, Ireland Studios

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Hershey's One-Bowl Buttercream

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup Hershey’s cocoa

2 and 2/3  cups Domino’s confectioners sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey vanilla

Beat butter in medium bowl. Add cocoa and powdered sugar alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Blend in vanilla. Yields about 2 cups frosting. Set that aside.

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Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake

(Bake according to directions on the box, reprinted below)


1 stick of butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using, line cupcake pan with liners. Beat butter, eggs, water, cinnamon and cake mix in a large bowl with a hand-mixer for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter into cupcakes pan. bake for 18 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Let cool completely and then frost generously.

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Serve and enjoy!