An easy-to-make cake for when life isn't quite so easy

[...] sometimes we need a cake that can function as a breakfast or brunch offering without too much explanation (chocolate cake requires a lot of justification before noon), or a midday snack, but also can hold up as a dessert offering.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for the pan

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the 1 cup of butter and the sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.

When the cake is cool, transfer to a serving platter and use a teaspoon to drizzle the icing back and forth in a pretty zig zag pattern across the top of the cake.

Nutrition information per serving: 400 calories; 210 calories from fat (53 percent of total calories); 24 g fat (15 g saturated; 0.5 g trans fats); 110 mg cholesterol; 270 mg sodium; 43 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 23 g sugar; 5 g protein.