Recipe: Cinnamon Breakfast Cake with Vanilla Glaze (bundt, using cake mix)

CINNAMON BREAKFAST CAKE WITH VANILLA GLAZE

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
FOR THE CINNAMON FILLING:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
for the Cake Batter:
1 (18.25-ounce) package plain yellow cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean or sunflower
3/4 cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with no-stick cooking spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Sprinkle pecans in bottom of prepared pan. Set pan aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Place brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Set bowl aside.

TO MAKE THE CAKE BATTER:
Place cake mix, pudding mix, oil, 3/4 cup water, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down side of bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping side down again if needed. The batter should look thick and smooth.

Pour one third of the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter half of the filling evenly over the batter. Pour another third of the batter evenly over the filling. Scatter remaining filling over the batter. Pour remaining batter evenly over the top, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place pan on center rack of preheated 350-degree oven.

Bake 58 to 60 minutes until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Remove pan from oven and place it on a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around edge of cake and invert it onto a rack. Allow it to cool 30 minutes more until completely cool.

TO MAKE THE VANILLA GLAZE:
Place confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

Place the cooled cake on a serving platter and spoon glaze over the top so that it drizzles down side and into center of cake. Slice and serve.

Makes 16 servings
Adapted from Source: Anne Byrn of Tribune Media Services, a division of Tribune Co.