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This Cinnamon Roll Cake will be one of the most delicious things you ever eat – trust me on this. It tastes exactly like a cinnamon roll, but lighter and more fluffy, like coffee cake! Is it breakfast or dessert…or both?

one square slice of cinnamon roll on a white plate.


Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake

I love this recipe because it’s a dessert mashup of three of my favorite things: cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, and yellow cake. The cinnamon-y flavor of course comes from the cinnamon center and the topping, but then the texture and glaze comes from cake.

This was such a good recipe that we had to re-home it immediately. I knew if we hadn’t we’d have eaten it with a fork straight from the pan within a day!

ingredients in cinnamon roll cake laid out on a marble counter.

Ingredients Needed

  • Unsalted Butter: Melted. If your butter is room temperature, it melts better!
  • Sugars: You’ll need granulated sugar and packed brown sugar for different parts of the cake.
  • Eggs: Large eggs add moisture and fat to the cake, keeping it moist!
  • Cinnamon: Can’t have a cinnamon roll cake without ground cinnamon!

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How to make Cinnamon Bun Cake

  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
  • Mix melted butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer at medium speed. Mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in milk, then stir in flour mixture until just mixed. Pour cake batter into a 9×13-inch baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray.
  • The swirled cinnamon roll center is a mixture of butter, brown sugar, and all-purpose flour. It becomes thick when mixed, so you drop it all over the cake then swirl it with a knife.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes in a 350°F preheated oven. Cool 10 minutes then glaze with a simple powdered sugar and milk icing.
  • Cool completely or to at least warm (not hot) before serving.
cinnamon roll baked into a clear pan.

Expert Tips

  • It is best to wait for the cake to cool for a few minutes before putting the glaze on. It will hold better once the cake is cooled. 
  • When a toothpick comes clean from the yellow part of the cake, you know it is done baking.
  • Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

FAQs

Can cinnamon roll cake be frozen?

Yes! You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months!

one square slice of cinnamon roll on a white plate.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

5 from 15 votes
This is a sweet cinnamon roll cake that tastes identical to a cinnamon rolls and has a texture of a cake! It is so delicious.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Yield 24 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (237ml) milk

Topping:

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze

  • 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4-5 tablespoons milk
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Mix melted butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer at medium speed. Mixture will be grainy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in milk, then stir in flour mixture until just mixed. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Mix in flour and cinnamon. Mixture will be smooth. Drop by spoonfuls over cake in pan. Use a butter knife to swirtl the topping throughout the cake.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the cake part comes out clean and it no longer rolls when the pan is tapped. Cool 10 minutes then glaze.
  • To make the glaze, whisk powdered sugar with vanilla and 4 tablespoons milk, adding more as needed for a drizzle consistency. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
  • Cool completely or to at least warm (not hot) before serving.
  • Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Cake is done baking when a toothpick comes out clean from the yellow cake part.
  • Feel free to add 1 cup chopped nuts to the brown sugar filling.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 396IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

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Last Updated on October 19, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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32 Comments

  1. We are fans of cinnamon buns. Yeast recipes are not my friend. I have no luck. I think maybe my water is not hot enough or too warm. Anyway this cake was a big hit. Great in the morning with coffee or a snack after work. Thank you.

  2. This is a fabulous tasting and easy to make cake. Everyone in my family loves it! It tastes just like gooey cinnamon rolls.

  3. This is a fabulous tasting, easy to make cake. Everyone in my family loves it! I’ve made it several times. Tastes just like a gooey cinnamon roll.

  4. Planning to make this the day before for dessert. Do you suggest baking the cake then warming/glazing the next day or bake/glaze and then warm up the next day?

  5. Hi Dorothy, can I ask if the gram measurements are correct. My cinnamon roll cake did not come out.
    I was measuring the brown sugar and it looked like a ton and researched it and I found a cup of brown sugar in grams is not 400 grams. It was too late for me to check the correct weight in grams for the other items but needless to say my cinnamon roll did not come out.