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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.
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!