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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.
Oh my! This is so delicious! After I tasted it, I told my husband to take the rest of the cake to work with him otherwise I will eat the whole thing 🙂
It’s in the oven as I type, but now I’m wondering if I should have reduced the oven temp to 325 because I’m using a glass dish 🙂
We shall see!
I used a glasd dish too and it worked fine. Let me know how it turns out! 😀
Well, I let it cook longer because I did reduce the temp to 325 at about halfway and probably shouldn’t have. It’s for hubby’s birthday, so we haven’t cut into it, but I can tell you it doesn’t look like yours, lol! I’ll make a note to use the 350 all the way through, thanks.
I made this tonight and it so amazingly good. Thanks for the recipe
I couldn’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve always enjoyed eating but disliked making cinnamon rolls, so this was very appealing alternative. I had pretty good results but it was too sweet for me. I think I’ll try to reduce the sugar and see how it turns out. I’m going to try to cut the butter in half also. My globs of cinnamon were probably too big so I will make them smaller. I think this is a great recipe pretty simple just for me needs a few tweaks. When I get it down pat I’m going to try to incorporate maple into the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Do u use plain flour or self rising flour.
My husband asked if I could make something for his work brunch tomorrow. Um, I think his co-workers will just LOVE this!!!
I think they will! I just made this again on Sunday and came home with an empty pan – it was a hit!! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Verdict is in…….This is sinfully delicious!!!! Some of the co-workers had 3 pieces!!! My hubby was able to bring home some for myself and our boys! I will make this again!!!!
Just made this but I had to bake it 10-15 minutes longer. Did anyone else have this problem? It tastes great and I will make it again.
Hmmm, I just made it last week and maybe put it in for 2 minutes longer. Not sure why you had to bake yours for so much longer, but I think it just depends on your oven since they’re all different. :/
I’m wondering if you “over swirled” the brown sugar mix like I did? I ended up having to cook longer.
I had the same issue with the length in baking time! But it smells sooo good!
Same issue for me. I did swirl the brown sugar mix a bit more but at 35 min it was still jiggly. Added 15min to baking time so I hope that does the trick!
The first time I made this it turned out great. I made it this weekend and I had to add to the cooking time and all the cinnamon sunk to the bottom. Not sure what happened. Used the same pan and oven…. 🙁
This was delicious! everyone Loved it, thx for sharing 🙂
does anyone have an easy banana muffin recipe please
I have one but haven’t posted it yet – hopefully within this month it will be up on the blog. 🙂 I also have a banana bread recipe that I use all the times as muffins. Here is the link: https://lilluna.com/the-best-banana-bread-recipe/
Cat Can Cook. It is the best no fail muffin recipe. Try it out. you wont try anything else !!!!
Yum! I love cinnamon anything=) Can’t wait to make this!
Ooo… my oldest requests cinnamon rolls every single time I ask what he wants for breakfast and I usually have to say there’s not enough time. I can’t wait to surprise him with this. Thanks!!