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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!

Cinnamon roll cake recipe on a white plate.
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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
Adding cinnamon batter to white batter in a baking dish.

Just Mix and Bake!

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. 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.
  3. CINNAMON TOPPING. In a medium bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Dollop over the top of the cake mixture evenly.
  4. 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.
  5. BAKE. Bake for 28–32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  6. GLAZE. Meanwhile, mix all glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm cake.
Swirling cinnamon batter into the white batter of a baking dish.

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.

Swirling cinnamon batter into the white batter of a baking dish.

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.

Cinnamon roll cake slice served on a white plate.

For more Cinnamon Roll recipes:

5 from 218 votes

Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
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!
Servings: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Cake

Cinnamon Topping

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

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

Make ahead of time. We love making this fresh to serve warm, but you can also make it 24 hours in advance and store, unglazed, covered at room temperature. Just reheat it in the oven for a few minutes to get warm before drizzling with the glaze.
Frosting. This recipe uses a glaze topping, but you can make a cream cheese frosting instead. 
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 538kcal, Carbohydrates: 82g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 132mg, Potassium: 270mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 56g, Vitamin A: 692IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

So Easy & So Yummy

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5 from 218 votes (78 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




382 Comments

  1. mary anderson says:

    5 stars
    i have tried this recipe before and it comes out to be the bestest one going to amke this again this weekend thanks for sharing such good recipe 🙂

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome! I am glad to share! It’s one of our favorites!

  2. Tamara says:

    I am planning on using just the cinnamon topping with my own personal vanilla cake recipe. I hope it turns out well!! Will update tonight

    1. Tamara says:

      5 stars
      The cinnamon topping was perfect, I didn’t even use half of it for my cake. I used my own personal vanilla cake recipe and then I drizzled a little of the cinnamon topping for each round cake and then swirled it. It did require my cake to cook a little longer, as some of the comments mentioned, but not enough to make me believe that my cake would burn. Thank you so much for this <3

      1. Kristyn Merkley says:

        You are so welcome! Thank you for sharing what you did 🙂

  3. Lori says:

    5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe, I love it, i have MADE it twice & everyone in my family Loved it?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Awe, I am so glad your family loves it! Thank you for letting me know 🙂

  4. Carolyn McMillin says:

    5 stars
    Good grief Is this ever good!!!!!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      LOL..thank you & yes!!

  5. Reynolds Woodrow says:

    5 stars
    Amazing – KIDDOS & HUsbanh love this incredIble cake!!! Will be baking this one often! Thank you gor sharing! Yummy!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome!! I am glad they all like it! Thank you so much for letting me know!

  6. Amy Huntley says:

    5 stars
    ooohhhh…..yum!

  7. Mariah says:

    5 stars
    WOW!!! THis cake is AMAZING. SO GOOD, BEST EATEN WARM BUT WARMS UP WELL THE NEXT DAY TOO. A KEEPER FOR SURE. THANKS!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Glad it’s a keeper!! Thank you so much!!

  8. Becca says:

    5 stars
    This combines two of my favorite desserts into one- soooo yummy!

  9. Audrey says:

    thank you so much for this delicious recipe. Cooked in glass pirex 9×13 cake dish for 33 minutes @ 350 in regular oven not convection, used margarine instead of butter because it’s what I had & it still turned out awesome!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! Glad you liked it 🙂 Thank you for letting me know & for trying it!

  10. Linen says:

    5 stars
    I love this Easy recipe and the kids love it too. I have made this a few times Since it comes together so qUickly. It is so nice Served warm with a tall glass of milk. It was an Easy, sweet addition to our christmas brunch spread. I had a craving for something Sweet and warm lAst Night and whipped this up and enjoyed a little with my family before bedtime. I just shared the recipe with my friend and figured i would stop and rate/review the recipe since i use it often enough. Thank you!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I appreciate that!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂 I am so glad you like it, as much as we do!