If you’ve been following along with my snaps (RecoveringCorp) you know, I’ve been delivering a few birthday cakes lately. This is my go-to birthday breakfast treat, a cake my mom would make for us on special occasions, and it’s always, without fail, a crowd favorite.

What this breakfast cake lacks in healthiness makes up for with ease of baking. In fact, it might not technically be considered “from scratch” since it uses a box mix. Every time I make it I forget how quickly I can throw one together which makes it even easier when the girls ask to “help”. Truly, the hardest thing about this cake is not eating the whole thing in one sitting.

A few of you reached out asking if I would share the recipe. So, I checked with my mom and she agreed, this is a recipe you should add to your collection. It was actually a recipe from her college roommate’s mom! Ah, those college roommates — they’re keepers. I just so happened to deliver this cake to mine last weekend at the lake.

And, well, I failed to take a picture of the inside because, you know what? We were all busy enjoying it. But let me describe it to you — soft, yellow cake with a gooey cinnamon ribbon through the middle, topped with light icing, more cinnamon and walnuts. Best when served with coffee and love. If the dad in your life has a sweet tooth, it makes a perfect little treat for Father’s Day morning, too.  

Mama Statham’s Breakfast Cake

Combine:
1 yellow cake mix
1 sm. package instant vanilla pudding
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water

Then add: 4 eggs / one at a time; mix well

Mix in:
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. butter flavoring (I never have this on hand, so I do 2 tsp. vanilla)

Beat well for 5 minutes

Chop walnuts (or buy the pre-chopped kind like yours truly)

Grease a bundt pan (My mom just gave me this one for Mother’s Day – it’s amazing – the cake slid right out!)

Mix and set aside: 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon

Sprinkle a handful of walnuts (or more to your liking) and half of the sugar & cinnamon mixture into the bundt pan. Pour in half of the batter. Sprinkle in more walnuts, remaining sugar & cinnamon. Pour in the rest of the batter.

Bake at 350* for 35 minutes, maybe  a few minutes longer. Test with a toothpick. Let cool and remove from pan.

Drizzle glaze over the cake:
1 cup powdered sugar (add more if glaze needs to thicken up)
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring (again, I double up on the vanilla)

ENJOY!

… and after texting my mom, she actually dug up her original recipe card. Ha!