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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.

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 350ยฐF. 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 28โ€“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:

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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

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

Glaze

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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 28โ€“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.ย 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.ย 
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.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Making this recipe? Tag us!
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ 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!

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5 from 218 votes (78 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




382 Comments

  1. Monique Stuef says:

    5 stars
    This is on deck for Christmas morning. Thanks for the yum o!!!

  2. Jaime Campbell says:

    5 stars
    This is a family favorite, and my daughter learned how to make it recently! Itโ€™s so yummy, it doesnโ€™t last long in our house!

  3. Melanie Wilson says:

    5 stars
    This yummy cake is definitely a hit in our home and Iโ€™ve made it for coworkers as well!

  4. Angie says:

    5 stars
    Tastes just like a cinnamon roll but so much easier to make!

    1. Kelsey Giffin says:

      5 stars
      This is amazing! Seriously the best thing I’ve ever made. Now my go-to party pleaser! Thank you for this recipe!

  5. Ashley says:

    I want to halve this recipe and bake in an 8×8 pan. How long would you suggest baking it for?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      It will take a lot longer, since it is thicker in the 8×8. I am guessing around 45 min or longer.

    2. Linda Lee says:

      If you are using half a recipe, then baking would be about the same time, maybe a few minutes less. I would “toothpick check” at 25 minutes. Since I’m single, I usually half 9×13 recipes, and use a 8″ round. It’s like using a cake mix and having the option to bake a 9×13 or two 8″ rounds.

  6. Terrie says:

    5 stars
    This cake is delIcious! EAsy to follow instructions, bakes for 28 mins, and, you have Yourself a warm drizzled cinnamon flavor bursting in your mouth. Ive made it three times this week to deliver to friends. TheY were verY happy. Thanks

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! It’s a delicious gift ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you so much!!

  7. Jan Vincent says:

    5 stars
    We love this cake and have made it often. The only thing we changed was spreading 1/2 of the batter in the bottom of the pan, placing the cinnamon mixture over that batter and then adding the second 1/2 batter over the top and stirring with a knife. This gives the bottom half of the cake the cinnamon mix as well as the top.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Great idea! Glad you love it! Thank you for letting me know!

  8. Nicky says:

    5 stars
    Amazing! Tastes better then any youd buy at a store! The cinnamon topping was crisp and the cake was fluffy. Absolutely fabulous!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Awe, thanks!! I love to hear that ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Navneet Oak says:

    5 stars
    made this today. It was just beyond YUMMM

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Love hearing this! Thank you so much for sharing that!

  10. Chelsea says:

    5 stars
    Made this two Nights ago. While it was too sweet for me i stIll eNjoyed it. Ate about a quarter of it and i froze the rest. I find the reCIpe was really easy to follow along and Not alot of steps. Will defiNitEly make again With a little less sugar In the cInnamon mix.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I love hearing that! Thank you so much for trying it ๐Ÿ™‚