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This extra sweet breakfast recipe is a family FAVORITE!!
Imagine Homemade Cinnamon Rolls in cake form. Sounds amazing, right? It really is. Our kids clean the pan every time we whip this up.
If you’re looking for a shortcut, this recipe is it! It has all of the delicious flavors of cinnamon rolls but in a fraction of the time (only 40 minutes from start to finish!). It is pretty much on repeat at our house as a go-to breakfast – and dessert.
And if you like this, you’ll love our Cinnamon Roll Bites and Easy Coffee Cake Recipe.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Next level delicious. With loads of butter, cinnamon, glaze, and flavor, this recipe always gets rave reviews!
- Great for holidays. Make it for special mornings, like Christmas, or a lazy Sunday morning.
- Extra simple. Just mix, dollop, swirl, and bake. This easy cake comes together in no time – it’s ready in only 40 minutes.
Cinnamon Roll Cake Ingredients and Substitutions
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour – see How to Measure Flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt – omit if using salted butter
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 large eggs – room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted – or salted butter
- optional mix-ins – raisins or chopped nuts
Cinnamon Topping
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar – or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Cake
- 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 ½ cup melted butter and pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, mix ¾ cup softened butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon. Dollop the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the cake mixture evenly.
- 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 powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm cake.
Cinnamon Roll Cake
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°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Slowly stir in melted butter and pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- 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.
- Mix all glaze ingredients 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.
Recipe FAQ
Bake it 24 hours in advance and store, unglazed, covered at room temperature. You can also wrap the baked cake with plastic and foil and freeze up to 3 months. Just reheat it in the oven for a few minutes to get warm before drizzling with the glaze.
Cool and cover with foil or saran wrap. Leave it on the counter for 3-4 days or wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months.
More Like This
Cinnamon Roll Recipes
Mini Cinnamon Rolls
1 hr 30 mins
Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe
52 mins
Cinnamon Bites
30 mins
Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
6 hrs 50 mins
Breakfast Cakes
New York-Style Crumb Cake
45 mins
Bisquick Coffee Cake
45 mins
Coffee Cake Muffins
40 mins
Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
30 mins
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This recipe was originally published January 2013.
I have some cream cheese frosting left over from a cake I made the other day. Do you think it would taste ok if I used that as frosting on top of this cake? 🙂
I am sure it would, though I have not tried myself, since the glaze gives it a nice touch. Cream cheese frosting is an added bonus! Hope you like it!
I really liked your article, I just tried it at home and i made it perfect. Thank you
That’s great! I’m glad you liked it 🙂 Thank you!
I’d love to know if anyone has tried with GF flour… I’m new to that kind of baking.
I haven’t 🙁 But, I hope you find someone who has!
Looks so good definitely making this!
It is!! Let me know what you think. Thank you!!
OMG! MAKE IT SO OOOOOH GOOD I ADDED WALNUTS. I DID ADD 15MIN TO COOK TIME YUM
So glad you liked it 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know!
I would lyk to know in cinnamon roll cake how three cups flour with only half cup of butter thank u reply me as soon as possible
I’m not sure what exactly you are wanting to know?
How much flour do i use for the cake and how much for the topping
3 cups for the cake and 2 tablespoons for the topping 🙂 Enjoy!!
Hi Kristyn,
I wonder on the Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe how to adjust the baking time or even temperature to do loaf pans or smaller cakes for gift giving?? Any advice?
I haven’t tried making this in smaller pans, so I don’t know an exact amount. I’m guessing the temp would stay the same, as long as they are the same type of pan as your 9×13 and I would say that they’ll cook a little longer, since it is in smaller pans. I would just keep checking once you’ve hit that 32 minutes and add a couple every time? I’m sorry, I wish I knew better. Let me know how long they end up baking for and we’ll pass that along. Thanks!!
I have made this before…it is awesome….guys at work want more more more…can’t go wrong..Thank-you..
Haha…i bet!! Thanks so much for letting me know! That makes me happy to hear!
I’m attempting this today. You might Want to add powdered sugar to the ingredient list if it’s not there I almost didn’t buy any and then decided to read recipe too nonjudt the ingredient list when I was in the store. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you saw it. I’ll have to maybe add the glaze recipe at the top. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!!