Mexican Churro Cake is the recipe that Lucia makes every Cinco de Mayo when she wants to put something on the table that looks completely beautiful, tastes exactly like the most warm and fragrant churro imaginable, and takes less than fifteen minutes of active preparation from start to oven. She discovered the cinnamon swirl technique of pouring the two batters alternately in concentric rings into the center of the pan and the result when the cake is sliced is one of the most genuinely beautiful and completely surprising things she has ever seen come out of a simple cake batter.
The thin crisp candy-like sugar glaze brushed over the warm cake and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar while still wet produces the most authentic churro crust that genuinely makes the cake taste like the most completely irresistible Mexican bakery pastry imaginable.
Mexican Churro Cake is the most ridiculously easy and completely festive Cinco de Mayo cake made from a simple yogurt-based one-bowl batter with a hidden cinnamon swirl that reveals the most beautiful marbled interior when sliced, finished with a thin crispy powdered sugar glaze and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for the most authentic churro experience in cake form. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful Cinco de Mayo recipes and easy Mexican-inspired celebration bakes from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
This Mexican Churro Cake recipe is the Cinco de Mayo bake that makes every guest at the table gasp with delight when the first slice is cut and the beautiful cinnamon swirl is revealed running through the interior of the most tender and golden cake. The visual surprise of the interior swirl against the pale cake crumb is genuinely one of the most beautiful cake reveals in all of simple home baking and it requires no special technique beyond pouring two batters into the center of the pan alternately.
The crispy glazed crust is the element that makes this cake so authentically churro-flavored and so completely extraordinary. The powdered sugar glaze brushed over the warm cake while it is still hot creates a thin and translucent candy-like shell on the exterior that seals in all the moisture and produces the most beautiful shiny presentation. The cinnamon sugar sprinkled over the still-wet glaze adheres perfectly and creates the exact warm and sweet cinnamon coating that makes a real churro so completely irresistible. Our Churro Cheesecake Bars make a beautifully individual and equally churro-forward companion for a complete and vibrant Cinco de Mayo churro dessert spread.
Ingredients Needed for This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
For the Cake:
- ½ cup Plain Yogurt or Greek Yogurt
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Neutral-Flavored Oil (canola, vegetable, sunflower, or avocado)
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
- 2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Whole Milk
For the Glaze:
- ¾ cup Powdered Sugar
- ¼ cup Apple Juice or Water
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 tbsp Salted or Unsalted Butter
For the Churro Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
How to Make This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with at least 2-inch-high sides with baking spray. Rub the interior with a paper towel to distribute the spray evenly. Line the bottom with a parchment circle and spray lightly again. Set aside.
In a medium-large bowl, combine the yogurt, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined. Add the baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Add the flour and whisk until all the flour is just blended in. Add the oil and stir well. The mixture will initially appear to separate but continue stirring until completely smooth and glossy.
Remove exactly half a cup of the batter to a small bowl or a 1-cup measuring jug with a pour spout. Add the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk to this reserved batter and stir until smooth. This is the cinnamon swirl batter, cara mia.
To create the cinnamon swirl, pour approximately one quarter of the plain batter into the center of the prepared pan, allowing it to spread naturally without tilting the pan. Pour approximately one quarter of the cinnamon batter directly over the center of the plain batter. Continue alternating the two batters, always pouring into the center of the pan, until both batters are completely used. Because there is significantly more plain batter than cinnamon batter, each pour of plain batter will be larger. The result when baked and sliced will be a beautiful and completely extraordinary cinnamon swirl through the center of every slice.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the cake feels springy when pressed gently in the center and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 8 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. The bottom of the baked cake becomes the top.
For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, apple juice or water, and vanilla in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir until combined. Add the butter and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds until the butter is melted. Stir well until completely smooth.
While the inverted cake is still warm, slowly brush approximately three quarters of the glaze over the top and sides using a pastry brush. Allow the glaze to set and dry until no longer tacky. Meanwhile, combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for the topping. Brush the remaining glaze over the set first coat and immediately sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. The second glaze coat allows the cinnamon sugar to adhere beautifully.
How to Serve This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
Present this cake whole on a beautiful white pedestal stand for the most elegant Cinco de Mayo celebration presentation. Slice at the table so every guest can see the beautiful cinnamon swirl revealed in cross-section as the knife goes through each slice. The combination of the crispy cinnamon sugar crust and the tender swirled interior is genuinely spectacular.
For a Cinco de Mayo celebration, serve alongside a drizzle of caramel sauce or dulce de leche for an extra indulgent presentation that amplifies the churro theme beautifully. Our Air Fryer Churro Bites make a wonderfully bite-sized and equally cinnamon-forward companion for a complete and festive Cinco de Mayo churro-themed dessert celebration spread.
How to Store This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
Store under a cake dome at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The glaze crust will lose some of its crispiness after refrigeration but the cake remains deeply moist and delicious. This cake also freezes well. Freeze uncovered for 1 hour until mostly frozen then wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
Tips to Make This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
Do not substitute butter for the oil in this recipe. Oil keeps the cake significantly lighter and more moist than butter in this specific yogurt-based recipe. The recipe developer tested a butter version and found it produced a noticeably drier result. Any neutral-flavored oil including canola, vegetable, sunflower, or avocado oil works perfectly.
Brush the glaze on slowly in multiple coats rather than all at once. The warm cake absorbs the first coat and most of it soaks into the interior of the cake. The second coat sits on the surface and creates the candy-like shiny crust. Apply the cinnamon sugar to the second and final coat while it is still wet for maximum adhesion.
Helpful Notes for This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
This recipe requires an 8-inch round cake pan with a minimum of 2 inches of side height. Standard 8-inch pans are often only 1.5 inches deep which may not accommodate the full volume of batter. If your 8-inch pan is not at least 2 inches deep, use a 9-inch pan for the same baking time with a slightly shorter finished cake or use an 8-inch springform pan.
The flat bottom of the cake that was in contact with the pan becomes the top after the inversion onto the cooling rack. This produces the most perfectly flat and even top surface for the glaze application and the cinnamon sugar topping, and the most beautiful presentation overall.
Variation of This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
Maria made a version adding a teaspoon of espresso powder to the cinnamon swirl batter for a mocha-cinnamon swirl that was deeply sophisticated and completely extraordinary for an adult Cinco de Mayo celebration gathering. Teresa tried drizzling chocolate sauce over each served slice in addition to the cinnamon sugar glaze for a chocolate churro cake experience that was deeply indulgent and completely festive.
For a more dramatic swirl, use the marble technique rather than the alternating pour. Pour half the plain batter, drop spoonfuls of cinnamon batter across the surface, add the remaining plain batter, drop more cinnamon spoonfuls, and run a knife in a figure-eight pattern for a more broadly marbled effect. Our Churro Cake makes a beautifully elaborate and equally cinnamon-celebration companion for a complete and stunning Cinco de Mayo layered cake spread.
FAQs About This Mexican Churro Cake Recipe
Can I use sour cream or buttermilk instead of yogurt?
Yes. Both full-fat sour cream and buttermilk work well as substitutes for the yogurt in this recipe in exactly the same quantity. All three are acidic dairy products that contribute to the tender crumb and the moisture of the finished cake in essentially the same way.
Why does this recipe use oil instead of butter?
Oil produces a significantly more moist and tender cake than butter in this specific recipe because oil remains liquid at room temperature rather than solidifying. A butter-based version was tested during recipe development and produced a noticeably drier result. The oil is specifically what gives this yogurt cake its characteristic light and extremely moist texture.
How do I know when the cake is done?
The most reliable test is an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the cake. The cake is done when the internal temperature reads 200 to 205°F. Visual cues include the cake feeling springy when gently pressed and the edges beginning to pull very slightly away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Conclusion
This Mexican Churro Cake is the Cinco de Mayo celebration bake that genuinely and completely surprises and delights every single time the first slice is cut and the beautiful cinnamon swirl is revealed and the warm fragrance of cinnamon and the crispy glazed crust fill the room with the most completely festive and joyful churro celebration energy imaginable. We hope it brings the same gasps of delight and the same deeply festive Cinco de Mayo table to your kitchen that it has always brought to ours. Make it, share it, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa
Print
Mexican Churro Cake The Most Easy and Tender Cinnamon Swirl Cinco de Mayo Cake You Will Bake
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The most easy and festive Mexican Churro Cake made from a ridiculously simple yogurt-based one-bowl batter with a hidden cinnamon swirl of brown sugar cinnamon and milk poured alternately into the center of the pan finished with a crispy powdered sugar butter glaze and cinnamon sugar topping for the most authentic churro cake experience. A completely extraordinary Cinco de Mayo celebration cake.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt or Greek Yogurt
1 cup Granulated Sugar
3 large Eggs
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Neutral Oil canola vegetable sunflower or avocado
2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar for swirl
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon for swirl
1 tbsp Whole Milk for swirl
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar for glaze
1/4 cup Apple Juice or Water
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract for glaze
1 tbsp Butter for glaze
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar for topping
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon for topping
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch 2-inch-deep pan with baking spray. Line bottom with parchment.
2. Whisk yogurt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
3. Add baking powder and salt. Whisk. Add flour and whisk until just blended.
4. Add oil and stir until completely smooth.
5. Remove 1/2 cup batter to a small bowl. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Stir smooth.
6. Pour 1/4 plain batter into center of pan. Pour 1/4 cinnamon batter over center. Continue alternating until both batters used.
7. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until springy and toothpick clean.
8. Cool in pan 8 minutes. Invert onto rack. Bottom becomes top.
9. Combine powdered sugar, apple juice, vanilla, and butter. Microwave 60 to 90 seconds. Stir smooth.
10. Brush 3/4 glaze over warm cake top and sides.
11. Allow glaze to dry until not tacky.
12. Brush remaining glaze over set first coat.
13. Immediately sprinkle with combined cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 212
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 33mg
Keywords: Mexican churro cake, easy Mexican churro cake recipe, cinnamon swirl Cinco de Mayo cake, churro cake with cinnamon sugar glaze
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