Snickerdoodle Cake

I made this cake for a recent church event. At least 3-5 folks demanded the recipe. I really don't want to say "I cheated and used a cake mix" but I'm putting it here in case they really want it. This is from the Cake Mix Doctor's book.

Serves: 16
Preparation time: 5-7 minutes
Baking time: 27-29 minutes
(note: I use a bundt pan for everything, and it took 37 minutes to bake)
Assembly time: 20 minutes

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25) plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 T (1 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously grease 2 9" round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

3. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27-9 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting.

5. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes.

Note: Place this cake, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Cover the cake with waxed paper and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

THIS RECIPE IS FROM THE CAKE MIX DOCTOR'S BOOK. PLEASE BUY THE BOOK; YOU WON'T REGRET IT.