This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Cinnamon roll cake is a favorite breakfast treat in cake form. With a quick prep and cook time it’s on the table in no time!
Cinnamon roll cake is a cake version of classic Cinnamon Rolls. If you’re looking for a shortcut, this recipe is it! And if you like this, you’ll love our Cinnamon Roll Bites too!
A Family Favorite!
This next breakfast recipe is a family favorite.
Imagine Homemade Cinnamon Rolls in cake form. I can tell you right now that it is AMAZING, and a Family Favorite!
Why you will love it too:
- Delicious. With loads of butter, cinnamon, glaze and flavor, this recipe always gets rave reviews!
- Great for holidays. Make it for parties or for special mornings, like Christmas.
- Simple. Just mix, dollop, swirl and bake. This cake comes together in no time.
It’s pretty much a family favorite dessert (and breakfast) and has become a go-to like our Easy Coffee Cake Recipe.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- milk
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon Topping
- unsalted butter softened
- brown sugar
- all-purpose flour
- ground cinnamon
Glaze
- powdered sugar, sifted
- milk
- vanilla extract
Just Mix and Bake!
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- BATTER. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla together. Slowly stir in melted butter and pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
- CINNAMON TOPPING. In a medium bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Dollop over the top of the cake mixture evenly.
- SWIRL. Swirl your topping and cake mixture with a knife, only inserting it halfway into the cake batter and going up and down the length of the pan.
- BAKE. Bake for 28–32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- GLAZE. Meanwhile, mix all glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm cake.
Recipe Tips
Do not overmix. If you over-mix the cinnamon swirls it may take longer for the cake portion to fully bake.
Flour. If you have self-rising flour, you can use 3 cups of that, but you will also need to omit the baking powder and salt as the self-rising flour already has it mixed in.
Mix-ins. You can add raisins or chopped nuts to the cake.
Storing Info
STORE. Allow homemade cinnamon roll cake to cool before covering it with foil or saran wrap and leaving it on the counter before reheating. If you are making it ahead of time, I recommend serving it within 24 hours but leftovers will keep for 3-4 days.
FREEZE. Let the easy cinnamon roll cake recipe cool and cover it tightly in plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat pieces in the microwave or the whole pan at a low temp in the oven.
For more Cinnamon Roll recipes:
Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon Topping
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Make the cake: In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla together.
- Slowly stir in melted butter and pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Make the cinnamon topping: In another bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Dollop over the top of the cake mixture evenly.
- Swirl your topping and cake mixture with a knife, only inserting it halfway into the batter and going up and down the length of the pan.
- Bake for 28–32 minutes.
- Make the glaze: Mix all glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cake while it is still warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My hubbies favorite dessert is cinnamon rolls but I am definitely not the cinnamon roll making time. But when I found this recipe I knew I had to make it for him. He was at work and told me he was craving cinnamon rolls so I whipped this up and had it for dessert for him. He said it is better than regular cinnamon rolls cause he likes the thickness of the cake, or as he calls it, the meat part of the cake lol.
So if you are looking for an alternative to making cinnamon rolls, you should try this. I followed the recipe to a “t” and it came out perfect.
Thanks for the great recipe.
That makes me so happy, Lovada!! This is still my “go to” cinnamon treat recipe that I make. Everyone loves it and it’s easier than cinnamon rolls. 😉
Hi I live in Glasgow, Scotland and I am looking forward to making this yummy cake however I am not sure about the flour you use? You say flour would I be right in saying that this is plain flour as we know it because you are using baking powder?
Thank you Audrey
Hi Audrey!! So COOL that you are from Scotland – it’s my favorite accent of all the languages and home of my favorite actor, James McAvoy! 😉 And yes, it’s all-purpose flour. You’ll have to let me know how it turns out. 😉
Hi there, this looks amazing but I am in the UK, do you happen to know the measurements in grams? Many thanks
Unfortunately, I don’t but here is a converter from ounces to grams. 😉 http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/ounces-to-grams.htm
Made this recipe. Oh my goodness yum! And super simple
Tried this morning and it tasted great! The only thing is the cake batter turned out a bit thick. Also the cinnamon brown sugar mixture stayed on top instead of mixed inside the cake. How do you get the cake batter to be more of a fluid consistency, and how does the brown sugar mixture get to the bottom and middle of the cake?
anyone have any idea whether I could use self-raising flour and forgo the baking powder?
This recipe looks soo good I’m excited to make it! But I was wondering how much butter was melted in grams?
Hi, is swans down cake flour or all purpose flour ?
All-purpose flour. 😉
Ok thanks but iis it ok ti use the cake flour I don’t have any regular flour?