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    Home » In the Kitchen

    Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake With Black Travel History and Free Printable

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    Homemade cinnamon pound cake on a plate next to the books Going Places and Black Food

    "From the 1890s until 1965, Jim Crow segregation laws legitimized the isolation of public spaces, schools, transportation, restrooms, and restaurants exclusively for white people...For the Black traveler, accessing food along journeys was nearly impossible. In response, Black women would arm Black travelers with 'shoebox lunches.' At times faceless and unsung, these women - family members, church attendees, or businesswomen - would find ways, both legal and illegal (as hawkers) to cook delicious meals with limited resources, making a way out of no way."

    - Bryant Terry

    Welcome to our kitchen! Today's baking experience is about the shoebox lunch and a delicious homemade cinnamon roll pound cake.

    Join us and learn more about cooking with kids.

    Contents hide
    1 Family & Kids' Cooking Resources
    2 Why is it Called Pound Cake?
    3 Who is Victor Hugo Green and What is the Green Book?
    4 How Long Will Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Last?
    5 Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
    5.1 Ingredients & Tools
    5.2 1. Butter the Baking Dish
    5.3 2. Add Butter to A Mixing Bowl
    5.4 3. Measure the Stevia for the Cinnamon Roll Cake
    5.5 4. Cream the Butter and Stevia Mixture
    5.6 5. Crack the Eggs into the Mixing Bowl
    5.7 6. Sift the Flour
    5.8 7. Slowly Incorporate the Flour
    5.9 8. Add Salt and Baking Soda
    5.10 9. Add the Sour Cream, Oil, and Vanilla
    5.11 10. Scrape the Bowl and Attachment
    5.12 11. Combine Ingredients for the Cinnamon Swirl in a Clean Bowl
    5.13 12. Mix the Cinnamon Swirl Ingredients
    5.14 13. Add ⅓ Batter and ½ Cinnamon Swirl to the Baking Dish
    5.14.1 Mirus Toys Fraction Manipulation Board
    5.15 14. Repeat Step 13 & Place the Remaining Batter on Top
    5.16 15. Add the Icing Ingredients to a Clean Mixing Bowl
    5.17 16. Remove the Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake From the Oven
    6 Conclusion for Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
    7 Free Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up
    7.1 Montessori Continent Boxes
    8 Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
    8.1 Equipment
    8.2 Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x
    8.2.1 Cake
    8.2.2 Cinnamon Swirl
    8.2.3 Icing
    8.3 Instructions
    8.4 Notes
    8.5 Nutrition

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Amazon links are not affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure.

    Cover of Black Food and Shoebox Lunch photo from Black Food cookbook

    This homemade cinnamon roll pound cake recipe by Jocelyn Delk Adams comes from the Spirituality chapter of Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora by Bryant Terry.

    In Black Food, Jocelyn states:

    "When my mama was growing up in Winona, Mississippi, she long awaited the day when she would be old enough to take the Winona train all the way to Chicago to visit her favorite auntie. When she came of age in high school, her parents, my Big Mama and Big Daddy, finally gave their approval. In preparation for her travels, Big Mama would make my mama a special lunch sack of fresh fried chicken and pound cake. These lunches would make those long trips feel more like home."

    - Jocelyn Delk Adams

    This cinnamon roll pound cake is inspired by her family's recipe and we enjoyed it so much, we made you a free kid-friendly recipe that you can try at home with your family. It's waiting for you down at the bottom.

    You can find more delicious recipes by Jocelyn Delk Adams over at Grandbaby Cakes or shop the Grandbaby Cakes collection at Williams Sonoma.

    If you enjoy this pound cake recipe, you'll want to check out this jollof rice by Chef JJ Johnson, also from Black Food.

    I should also mention that all recipes from Black Food can be enjoyed with an accompanying playlist. Search Bryant Terry's Black Food playlist on Spotify or grab the cookbook for more information.

    Stop by our shop to see more Family & Kids' Cooking Resources.

    Homemade cinnamon pound cake on a plate next to the books Going Places and Black Food

    Family & Kids' Cooking Resources

    Beautiful and diverse cooking resources for you!

    Shop Now

    Why is it Called Pound Cake?

    This is related to how much of the four main ingredients were needed in order to make the cake.

    As described in Smithsonian Magazine:

    "According to the original recipe, four pounds is how much an original pound cake required. That’s one for each ingredient: flour, eggs, butter and sugar...American Cookery, written by Amelia Simmons and published in Hartford, Connecticut in 1795, offered this recipe for the dessert: 'One pound sugar, one pound butter, one pound flour, one pound or ten eggs, rose water one gill, spices to your taste; watch it well, it will bake in a slow oven in 15 minutes.'"

    - Smithsonian Magazine
    Cover of Going Places:  Victor Hugo Green and his Glorious Book and illustration of a police officer outside of a dining establishment

    Who is Victor Hugo Green and What is the Green Book?

    If you're interested in Black travel history, Victor Hugo Green is someone you should become familiar with.

    Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book by Tonya Bolden and Eric Velasquez is the perfect picture book for learning about this Black mail carrier and the Negro Motorist Green Book he created to support anyone who finds themselves a Black traveler during the oppression of the Jim Crow Era.

    The illustrations do an excellent job of depicting the Black American experience during times of segregation and sundown towns.

    Kids can explore Going Places and learn more about the shoebox lunch prior to making this delicious cinnamon roll cake.

    How Long Will Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Last?

    We kept our pound cake covered and in the fridge while periodically snacking on it. The pound cake lasted for three days before we ate every last crumb. We think it tastes just as incredible after a day or two as it does when you first bake it.

    Let it come to room temperature before serving.

    Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake on a plate with a fork

    Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake

    There are three components to this delightful pound cake: the cake, the cinnamon swirl, and the icing. However, don't let that discourage you from taking on this project. It's a natural progression moving from one component to the next.

    Our 3 and 5-year-olds appeared quite comfortable managing each task, with assistance as needed. As a matter of fact, the icing can be made at your leisure as the pound cake bakes and cools.

    If you enjoy this dessert, you should try picarones, thumbprint cookies, bread pudding, and blueberry cake.

    Ingredients for making cinnamon roll pound cake with labels

    Ingredients & Tools

    • flour - we prefer to bake with all-purpose einkorn. It's easy to work with, tastes excellent, and is a healthy option.
    • butter - unsalted butter is preferred for this delicious pound cake.
    • eggs - we use large farm fresh eggs at room temperature.
    • stevia - the stevia & erythritol blends we've used taste a bit sweeter than sugar. If you're using stevia too, go light on the icing until you've tasted it with the pound cake. Less is more. You can also use sugar.
    • sour cream - we like Tillamook cultured sour cream for a moist cinnamon pound cake.
    • swerve brown - for the delicious cinnamon swirl. You can also use light brown sugar.
    • cinnamon - we're all about using what we have on hand, but if you get the chance to try this peni miris cinnamon, let us know. We'd love to try it next.
    • vanilla extract - a must-have for the cake, the cinnamon swirl, and the icing.
    • cream cheese - a must-have for cinnamon roll pound cake icing.

    Pound Cake is traditionally baked in a Bundt pan. However, we don't have a 12-cup Bundt pan and found that this 2.6 quart square baking dish just fit all of the batter. Any baking dish of comparable size or slightly larger should work well.

    one child is holding a baking dish and another child is using a basting brush to apply butter to the dish

    1. Butter the Baking Dish

    Wash your hands with soap and water. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter the baking dish. This dish is naturally non-stick but we buttered it anyway with a basting brush and butter from a butter bell.

    child holding a buttered Made In baking dish

    Our kids like any excuse to use the basting brush and it ensures that our slices of pound cake come out smoothly as we serve. It also makes for easier cleanup afterward.

    You can also flour the inside of your pan when you're done applying the butter.

    child watching a stand mixer whisk butter

    2. Add Butter to A Mixing Bowl

    Turn the mixer on high for 1 minute and beat the butter using the whisk attachment.

    child is weighing stevia using a kitchen scale

    3. Measure the Stevia for the Cinnamon Roll Cake

    stand mixer creaming butter and stevia

    4. Cream the Butter and Stevia Mixture

    Slowly add the stevia or your sweetener of choice to the mixing bowl and mix for 5 minutes or until fluffy.

    child cracking eggs into a mixing bowl

    5. Crack the Eggs into the Mixing Bowl

    Add each of the eggs to the mixing bowl. You will want to mix thoroughly between each egg. During this process, feel free to stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom as needed.

    Wash your hands when finished.

    einkorn flour in a sifter

    6. Sift the Flour

    Use a flour sifter to sift the flour before weighing the amount needed for the recipe.

    sifted all-purpose einkorn flour in a bowl
    child scooping einkorn flour to add to a mixing bowl

    7. Slowly Incorporate the Flour

    Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the flour to the mixing bowl.

    child adding salt to a mixing bowl using a measuring spoon

    8. Add Salt and Baking Soda

    Measure the salt and baking soda with a measuring spoon and add them to the other ingredients in the mixing bowl.

    We also changed our mixer attachment to the flat beater attachment.

    closeup of oil being added to a mixing bowl

    9. Add the Sour Cream, Oil, and Vanilla

    Have you explored estimations in math? We used this opportunity to estimate how much sour cream to add based on the amount of sour cream in the Tillamook sour cream container.

    The oil and vanilla can be measured with a measuring spoon.

    cinnamon roll pound cake batter is mixed using a stand mixer

    10. Scrape the Bowl and Attachment

    Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as well as the attachment to make sure everything is mixed. Set aside when finished.

    closeup of cinnamon roll pound cake batter in a large mixing bowl

    Your batter should be mixed well but not over-mixed and look similar to this.

    closeup of adding einkorn flour to a bowl with ingredients

    11. Combine Ingredients for the Cinnamon Swirl in a Clean Bowl

    Turn the stove on low heat. Measure the butter for the cinnamon swirl place it in a pan. Heat the butter until melted and turn off the stove.

    Measure the swerve brown or light brown sugar using a scale and add it to a clean bowl. Add the flour, cinnamon, and vanilla extract using a measuring spoon.

    silicone spatula is mixing together the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl component of the cinnamon pound cake

    12. Mix the Cinnamon Swirl Ingredients

    Add the melted butter to the bowl and combine all the ingredients with a silicone spatula or whisk.

    pound cake batter and cinnamon swirl components on a counter next to a baking dish

    You should have 1 mixing bowl with your pound cake batter, 1 bowl with your cinnamon swirl, and 1 baking dish or Bundt pan.

    using a knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture through the pound cake batter

    13. Add ⅓ Batter and ½ Cinnamon Swirl to the Baking Dish

    Add ⅓ of the batter to the baking dish or Bundt pan and smooth with the silicone spatula. Pour ½ of the cinnamon swirl over the batter and use a knife or skewer to swirl the cinnamon mixture around the batter.

    Want to review or introduce fractions? This Mirus Toys Fraction Manipulation Board includes a variety of fraction pieces and is an excellent set of materials for exploring fractions and concepts related to fractions, such as time, degrees, and percentages.

    child performing fraction addition on a fraction manipulation board

    Mirus Toys Fraction Manipulation Board

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    This improper and mixed fraction conversion activity is another useful extension for questions such as how much total butter this recipe uses. However, it's not required for using the kid-friendly printable recipe down below.

    Get 16% off your purchase from Montessorikiwi here.

    Once everyone is comfortable with fractions, they can move on to the next step or you can assist as needed during this step.

    cinnamon pound cake batter in a square baking dish

    14. Repeat Step 13 & Place the Remaining Batter on Top

    Add another third of the batter to the dish or pan, followed by the remainder of the cinnamon swirl. Use the knife or skewer to swirl the cinnamon mixture through the batter.

    Finally, place the remaining batter on top and smooth with the spatula. Place it in the oven.

    If using a Bundt pan, bake for 85-95 minutes on the upper middle rack of the oven. The cinnamon roll pound cake is done when a toothpick or knife fork inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean for the most part.

    If you're using a baking dish like ours, you may need an additional 15 minutes or so of baking time.

    Cover of Black Food by Bryant Terry
    Image of shoebox lunch items in Black Food cookbook

    While the pound cake is baking and cooling, this is an excellent time to explore the Black Food cookbook further.

    ingredients for making pound cake icing in a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment

    15. Add the Icing Ingredients to a Clean Mixing Bowl

    Place the clean whisk attachment back on the mixer. Add the cream cheese and butter to the clean mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on medium-high and beat for 2 minutes.

    Turn the mixer down to low. Measure the swerve confectioners or confectioners' sugar using a scale and slowly add it to the mixing bowl.

    Turn the mixer on medium-high and add the milk using a measuring cup. Next, add the vanilla using a measuring spoon. When the icing is smooth and easy to pour, you can turn off the mixer.

    white icing in a mixing bowl

    Your icing should look similar to this when finished.

    Homemade Cinnamon Pound Cake on a cooling rack

    16. Remove the Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake From the Oven

    Turn off the oven and let the cake cool. Drizzle the icing on top and enjoy!

    Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake on a plate with a fork

    Conclusion for Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake

    We hope you've enjoyed learning about Black travel history, Victor Hugo Green, and the shoebox lunch while discovering a delicious new pound cake recipe for you to try at home or on the road.

    Ingredients and recipe instruction cards snippet for making Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake. The recipe is from Black Food cookbook.

    Free Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up

    Grab your free printable recipe cards above. Kids can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather their equipment with the tools list, and prepare the dessert using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed.

    The cards are easy to use, include pictures, and encourage confidence and independence in the kitchen. They also make an excellent addition to your Montessori continent box for North America.

    Treasures From Jennifer Continent Boxes and Schleich penguin, blue whale, leopard seal, and orca

    Montessori Continent Boxes

    Explore every continent with these solid maple hardwood boxes.

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    Homemade cinnamon pound cake on a plate next to the books Going Places and Black Food

    Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake

    Kristin
    Enjoy this homemade cinnamon roll pound cake as part of the Late Fall Shoebox Lunch from Black Food and explore Black travel history with us.
    5 from 1 vote
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 35 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 40 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 people
    Calories 362 kcal

    Equipment

    • Apron
    • Prep Bowls
    • Basting Brush
    • Kitchen Scale
    • Stand Mixer
    • Flour Sifter
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Measuring Cup
    • Silicone Spatula or Whisk
    • Pan
    • Butter Knife or Skewer
    • 8 x 8 Baking Dish or 12-cup Bundt pan
    • Learning Tower as needed
    • Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora
    • Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book

    Ingredients 
     

    Cake

    • 1½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 2½ cups stevia
    • 6 large eggs at room temperature
    • 3 cups all-purpose einkorn flour sifted
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
    • 2 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    Cinnamon Swirl

    • ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
    • ⅓ cup swerve brown firmly packed
    • 1 tablespoon all-purpose einkorn flour
    • 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Icing

    • 2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
    • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 1½ cups swerve confectioners
    • ¼ cup whole milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions 

    • Wash your hands with soap and water. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter the baking dish. You can also flour the inside of your pan when you're done applying the butter.
    • Add the butter for the cake to a mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on high for 1 minute and beat the butter using the whisk attachment.
    • Measure the stevia for the cinnamon roll cake.
    • Cream the butter and stevia mixture: Slowly add the stevia or your sweetener of choice to the mixing bowl and mix for 5 minutes or until fluffy.
    • Crack each of the eggs into the mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly between adding each egg. During this process, feel free to stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom as needed. Wash your hands.
    • Use a flour sifter to sift the flour before weighing the amount needed for the recipe.
    • Slowly incorporate the flour: Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the flour to the mixing bowl.
    • Measure the salt and baking soda with a measuring spoon and add them to the other ingredients in the mixing bowl. We also changed our mixer attachment to the flat beater attachment.
    • Add the sour cream, oil, and vanilla: Have you explored estimations in math? We used this opportunity to estimate how much sour cream to add based on the amount of sour cream in the Tillamook sour cream container. The oil and vanilla can be measured with a measuring spoon.
    • Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as well as the attachment to make sure everything is mixed. Set aside when finished.
    • Combine ingredients for the cinnamon swirl in a clean bowl: Turn the stove on low heat. Measure the butter for the cinnamon swirl and place it in a pan. Heat the butter until melted and turn off the stove. Measure the swerve brown or light brown sugar using a scale and add it to a clean bowl. Add the flour, cinnamon, and vanilla extract using a measuring spoon.
    • Mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients: Add the melted butter to the bowl and combine all the ingredients with a silicone spatula or whisk. You should now have 1 mixing bowl with your pound cake batter, 1 bowl with your cinnamon swirl, and 1 baking dish or Bundt pan.
    • Add ⅓ of the batter to the baking dish or Bundt pan and smooth with the silicone spatula. Pour ½ of the cinnamon swirl over the batter and use a knife or skewer to swirl the cinnamon mixture around the batter.
    • Add another third of the batter to the dish or pan, followed by the remainder of the cinnamon swirl. Use the knife or skewer to swirl the cinnamon mixture through the batter. Finally, place the remaining batter on top and smooth with the spatula. Place it in the oven. If using a Bundt pan, bake for 85-95 minutes on the upper middle rack of the oven. The cinnamon roll pound cake is done when a toothpick or knife fork inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean for the most part. If you're using a baking dish like ours, you may need an additional 15 minutes or so of baking time.
    • Add the icing ingredients to a clean mixing bowl: Place the clean whisk attachment back on the mixer. Add the cream cheese and butter to the clean mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer down to low. Measure the swerve confectioners or confectioners' sugar using a scale and slowly add it to the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on medium-high and add the milk using a measuring cup. Next, add the vanilla using a measuring spoon. When the icing is smooth and easy to pour, you can turn off the mixer.
    • Remove the cinnamon roll pound cake from the oven. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool. Drizzle the icing on top and enjoy!

    Notes

    • The same amount of sugar or other sweeteners can be substituted for stevia
    • The same amount of light brown sugar can be substituted for swerve brown
    • The same amount of confectioners' sugar can be substituted for swerve confectioners
    • The same amount of 2% or even refrigerated coconut milk can be substituted for whole milk
    • Leftover pound cake can be covered and stored in the fridge
    • Let leftover pound cake come to room temperature before serving
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
    • See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
    • Full Recipe Info and Pictures at:  https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/cinnamon-roll-cake

    Nutrition

    Calories: 362kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 5gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 223mgPotassium: 61mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 927IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg

    Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Kristin

    Hello! I'm a Montessori homeschooler of 4 living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We're nature lovers and environmental minimalists sharing our experience in guiding our little ones from the back of the boat.

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