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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.
This looks wonderful! What is the best way to make in advance and reheat without drying it out?
I thought about making just the cake part and heating it up on low in the oven and also adding the topping just before serving. Would this work? Thanks.
That should work 🙂 It doesn’t have to be served warm. When I make it for functions, I will make the morning of, cover, then serve later. But, really it’s up to you.
Sounds great! Thanks!
I made this over the weekend. It is truly amazing. I should have swirled the filling in better to reach the bottom, but it was stil great. I did not have any vegetable oil so I used all butter…extra delicious!! Eat it warm. Still good cool, but better warm.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying it & letting me know!
I thoroughly enjoyed making the cake and it turned out well for my first time. I didn’t get the swirl right. I made dinner for some students that I advise. I hope to make it again and get the swirl right this time.
Thank you for giving it a try!! You’ll get it right 🙂 Mine wasn’t perfect the first time & it usually comes out different every time.
Do you think I could make these as cupcakes? I want to be able to share this at school and I feel it may be easier to share, but I don’t know if that will mess with the cake.
Honestly, I haven’t tried. I’m not quite sure how those would work. You could always double the recipe, make the cake & pour the other half in cupcake liners, to see how’d they turn out?? I’d love to know! Good luck!
LOVE IT! I made it last night for my office today, and it was a smash. The only thing I did differently was I added Cream Cheese to my icing…….Awesome! I will totally make this again.
Love to hear that! I am so glad it was a hit! Adding cream cheese is a great idea!
Well I forgot to put the ingredient that is so important it is in the title! You guessed it, I forgot the cinnamon!
I enriched the glaze with cinnamon and maple syrup on a desperate attempt to give it more flavor!
It came out great , a bit bready but super soft with a crispy top. Amazing cake Kristyn , thanks you! I will be making it again!
LOL..oh, no! Thank you so much for trying it & hopefully, it will taste even better next time!
I would love to get more recipes and ideas.
Thank you.
Thank you for stopping by! I will keep ’em coming 🙂
I wanted to know would this be ok to make the night before and throw back in the oven the next morning to warm up or would it be dryer
You know, I haven’t tried. If anything, I would make it, but not bake it, until you are ready for it, then top with the glaze. I hope that helps 🙂
I made the Cinnamon Roll cake this morning and decided, with gusto, IT’S A KEEPER!
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Yay!! I love to hear that! Thank you! It’s one of our favs!
I’ve made this cake TONS of times, and I absolutely love it. I have one issue, though. Every time I make it, the cinnamon mixture seems to transfer from the top of the batter to the bottom. The cake still has amazing flavor, but if you want any cinnamon taste you have to scrape the bottom of the dish pretty good.
It does sink and kind of goes throughout the whole cake, but some should be on top. I’m not sure why it would all sink to the bottom. I’m glad you like it though! I wish I could answer your problem!