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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.
Are we able to use self rising flour?
I personally haven’t tried, but it should be ok 🙂
This cake was divine! Everyone loved it. It was a mix between a streusel cakE and a cinnamon roll but way easier than all the rolling out anx waiting for them to rise. I coukd eat this everyday!
I agree..way easier, but just as good! Thank you so much!
Very delicious! Easy to makE! It was perfect! I wanted cinnamon rolls but didn’t feel like spending the time to make them.
This is a great option! I am glad you liked it!
Delicious and loved by all!
Makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you for trying them & letting me know!
Oooooh.. My love for cinnamon! WIll definitely try this recipe!!!! Thanks for sharing. Keep posting more cinnamon cake! 🙂
I will 🙂 I’d love to know what you think, if you give it a try!
Mexican chicken and corn soup sounds simply delish. Can’t wait to try on a cool fall evening.
Thanks!! They definitely are a cool night!
This was very easy to prepare but the glaze is more like a buttercream or a icing texture. I followed the direction and I just want to know if it’s supposed to never like that.
It’s supposed to be more like a glaze, not thick. I would add more milk until it’s the right consistency. Hope that helps!
I have made this recipe for years now and we love it so much! Everyone I’ve given it to loves it as well. However, I came back to this recipe today and I can’t seem to find the flour measurement in the cake recipe! Did it just disappear? Is it just me?! Is it 3 cups? You’d think I’d have it memorized by now, I’ve made it so often. I’m going to just guess and use 3 cups and hope it’s the correct amount!
Hi there.
I have my little boy’s 2nd birthday this sunday and want to move away from traditional birthday cake. Want to make brownie muffins, and something cinnamonny.
Do you think your cinnamon roll cake will work if I make it in the shape of cupcakes? I’m sure I’ll need to adjust the bake time? I’m going to give it a try… Holding thumbs it’s going to work!
If by any chance you see this before saturday, please give me some tips.
Thanks!
How did they turn out? I hope they were good! I haven’t tried these as cupcakes, so I’d love to know!
It was quite an adventure… the paper cupcake cups made it hard to swirl the cinnamon mix in properly so it bubbled out while baking – causing a lot of smoke. LOL. After that the papers were stuck to the cake and I let them sit overnight and managed to remove the paper cups the following day. Apart from that they tasted great!
Next time I won’t use paper cups!
Thanks everyone loved them!
Well, I guess we know now 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know! Glad everyone loved them!
Okay, this is my first ever feedback for a recipe, but this recipe deserves it. It is a total understatement to say this cake is delicious. I served it yesterday at a get together, and it was a landslide smash hit. I got sooooo many positive responses it was unbelievable (even from the pickiest dessert eaters). All I could hear once it was served was children chanting “this is, yummy this is yummy.” One boy said to his mom, “this is the best cake I ever had in my life.” It goes without saying that I will make it every chance I get. So easy (I screwed up several steps while rushing and still turned out to be gold). Thanks for this awesome recipe 🙂
That makes me so happy to hear! It is always a hit! I am so glad you tried it! Thank you for letting me know!