Preparation Steps

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1.5 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt.
• Add the softened butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
• Gradually add the buttermilk, mixing until the batter is smooth. Be careful not to overmix.
• In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, 0.75 cup sugar, and cinnamon for the tornado swirl.
• Pour about two-thirds of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
• Sprinkle the tornado swirl mixture evenly over the batter.
• Carefully pour the remaining one-third of the cake batter over the swirl mixture.
• Using a knife or skewer, gently swirl the batter to create a tornado effect. Do not over-swirl.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.