El Churro Cake Perfect for Cinco de Mayo

You know what better than hot crispy churros, churros, and chocolate sauce. And it’s the perfect inspiration for this El Churro Cake. 

This El Churro Cake is made with cinnamon swirl cake layers, creamy cinnamon buttercream, rich chocolate ganache, and crispy churro bites. 

My favorite part about the cake besides the hot crispy churro bites is the cinnamon swirl cake layers. 

The technique is so simple, yet it makes the most significant impact when you cut it into the cake. The layers look insanely delicious because the cinnamon filling is swirled in the spiced vanilla cake batter. It looks just like the classic coffee cake swirls. 

Then the cake is filled with creamy cinnamon buttercream that’s a beautiful balance between sweet and spice. 

I’ll show you exactly how you can get the perfect chocolate drip on your cake every time. Two key steps are a must-have to make a successful drip, and I’m sharing them with you. 

This El Churro Cake is perfect for a Cinco de Mayo celebration or just because of the gathering. Below are some tips for success, as well as the tools and equipment you’ll need. I’m so excited to see your churro cakes. Let’s get started! 

Tips for success:

• Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
• In this cake recipe, you need 1 cup buttermilk; if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own. 
• A single batch of this cake recipe makes three 6-inch round cake layers or two 8-inch round cake layers. Double the cake recipe to make enough cake batter for three 8-inch cake layers.
• You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month. 
• You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping; if needed, add heavy cream.
• Serve the cake at room temperature. To get clean cuts of cake, run hot water over a sharp knife, wipe clean after each slice. Reheat the blade as needed. 

What Tools You’ll Need to Make This Cake: 

• 5-quart, Stand Mixer with mixing bowl, paddle attachment
• 3, 6-inch cake pans or 2, 8-inch cake pans
• Offset spatula 
• 8-inch or 10-inch white cake board 
• Serrated knife or cake leveler 
• Turntable 
• Cake scraper or bench scraper
• Whisk or sifter
• Rubber Spatula
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Parchment Paper
• Ice Cream Scooper with Trigger Release (for dividing cake batter evenly)
• Mixing bowls (small & medium)
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Piping bags (optional, reusable silicone)
• Ateco #844-star piping tip
• Squeeze Bottle 
• Cake Stand, optional
• Churros, ready-made (frozen), can be found at bulk grocery stores like Costco or Smart n Final. 

Here’s how to make this decadent El Churro Cake that’s perfect for any cinnamon spice lover! 

Let’s Get Baking! 

Cinnamon Swirl Filling 

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the light brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and mix in the vegetable oil until all the ingredients are well combined. Set aside. 

Cinnamon Swirl Cake 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk and stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 
3. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the stand mixer bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated.
5. Turn the mixer on low and add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until fully incorporated. 
6. Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix on medium for another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
7. Evenly distribute half of the cake batter among the three cake pans. Then evenly distribute the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the cake batter. Add the remaining cake batter on top of the cinnamon swirl filling. Use a long skewer to swirl the cake batter in the pans. 
8.  Bake the cakes for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
9. Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place them into the freezer to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

Cinnamon Buttercream 

1. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the salt and vanilla. 
3. Next, gradually add powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, followed by the cream. Mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
4. Before using, turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles, or use a rubber spatula to push out the air bubbles. (You may need to repeat this step when frosting the outside of the cake). 

Chocolate Ganache Drip 

1. Add semi-sweet chocolate chips to a small microwavable bowl. In another small microwavable bowl, heat the heavy cream to a light simmer for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. 
2. Pour hot, heavy cream over chocolate chips. Allow chocolate to melt for 1 minute. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to mix the chocolate and cream. Mix until it’s velvety smooth. If chocolate is still not melted, heat in the microwave in 15-second increments. 
3. Set aside to cool before pouring into a squeeze bottle. 

Putting It All Together

1. Remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap the cake layers. Next, use a serrated knife to cut off the cakes’ dome to make the layers flat and even. 
2. Add a small amount of buttercream onto the center of the cake board. Layer one cake layer, cut side up onto the cake board. Pipe ⅔ cup of cinnamon buttercream and use an offset spatula to smooth the buttercream layer.  
3. Place another cake layer cut side down over the top. Repeat the process for another layer — Crumb coat with cinnamon buttercream and freeze for 30 minutes. 
4. Add a thicker layer of buttercream to the cold cake. Use an offset spatula and cake scraper to make the sides and the top as smooth as possible. 
5. Place the cake in the freezer to set buttercream for 10 minutes before adding the drip. The colder the cake, the slower the chocolate ganache will drip down the sides. 
6. Reheat and crisp churros, then roll in cinnamon sugar (note: make cinnamon sugar mix ¼ cup granulated sugar & 1 TBSP ground cinnamon). Cut churros into 2-3 inch pieces. 
7. If needed, heat the ganache in the squeeze bottle in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. (Test the drip on a tall glass before trying it onto the cake, this way, you won’t ruin the cake if the chocolate is too hot). 
8. Squeeze and drop the chocolate ganache over the sides. Then add the chocolate ganache on top of the cake and Use the offset spatula to smooth. 
9. Pipe star swirls on the top of the cake and place six churro bites on top of each swirl to complete the cake. 
10. Serve cake at room temperature and enjoy! See recipe notes on how to get clean cake slices. 

You May Also Enjoy: 

• Gooey and Delicious Cinnamon Swirl Cake
• How to Decorate Your First Cake (free course)
• Cake Decorating for Beginners (masterclass)  

I’m so excited to see your El Churro Cake creations. Please tag me on Instagram or Pinterest @xokatierosario to be featured. 

Please feel free to email me here at xokatierosario@gmail.com with any questions you may have; I’ll be happy to help! 

Happy Decorating! 

P.S. Hey, if you liked this tutorial, you really should check out Cake Decorating for Beginners, my signature masterclass. I coach you on everything I teach on these cake tutorials on a deeper level so that you can uplevel your baking and decorating skills. We 10x it to get the results you want most impressive cakes that your friends and family will love. Like any new skill, it’s essential to learn from the ground up to build a foundation so that you can take on any cake challenge. It is an investment your future self will thank you for. Check it out at XOKatieRosario.com/cake-masterclass. I will see you there! 

Watch The How-to Video Below: 

 

 

Pin it! Save it for later! 

1