Vanilla Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Filling

This is definitely not your ordinary sheet cake.

INGREDIENTS:

• Baking spray, for pan
• 3 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 4-ounce bars of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 c. crispy rice cereal
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• Rich Chocolate Frosting (recipe link below)
• 1 c. whole milk, at room temperature

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Pulse chocolate, cereal, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a food processor until chocolate is finely chopped, 10 to 12 times.
• Beat butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla bean paste. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with flour mixture, just until flour is incorporated.
• Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate mixture evenly over batter and top with remaining batter.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
• Frost cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting.