This Homemade Cinnamon Roll Cake dessert has all the flavor of a cinnamon roll but in an easy cake with a vanilla icing drizzled on top!
A CINNAMON ROLL IN CAKE FORM
Are you one of those folks whose eyes glaze over when you see a recipe that has more than 5 ingredients? You completely lose interest and skip on to the next one. Yeah, I know the feeling. It's kinda how I felt about this one when I first saw this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake. But then I heard all the great reviews everyone was giving it and I knew I had to make it!
CAN I SUBSTITUTE WITH A BOXED CAKE MIX?
Yes you could. You could use a vanilla cake mix and then just make the cinnamon roll filling and swirl it around. Then continue with the rest of the baking instructions. I think a butter pecan, white and yellow boxed cake mixes would all work as well.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- all-purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- baking powder
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- milk
- salted butter
- light brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLL CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (I like the kind that has flour in it.) In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), combine ingredients for cake (except melted butter.)
While your mixer is running, slowly add the ½ cup melted butter. Mix just until combined - overmixing flour in baked goods can make it tough and rubbery. Spread this batter evenly into your baking dish.
Now to make the filling. In a small bowl, combine all your filling ingredients: softened butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
Stir until combined well.
Drop the cinnamon filling by spoonfuls onto the cake batter.
Now the artistic part. Take a butter knife and make swirly, marble-effect patterns all around the cake. Drag the knife through both the cinnamon and cake batter.
Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes (it took about 40 minutes in my oven), until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl. Pour the glaze over the warm cake.
The glaze is gonna settle into all those nooks and crannies.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Homemade Cinnamon Roll Cake (+Video)
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
FOR THE CINNAMON FILLING:
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 5 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (I like the kind that has flour in it.) In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), combine ingredients for cake (except melted butter).
- While your mixer is running, slowly add the ½ cup melted butter. Mix just until combined (overmixing flour in baked goods can make it tough and rubbery.)
- Spread this batter evenly into your baking dish.
FOR THE FILLING:
- In a small bowl, combine all your filling ingredients: softened butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir until combined well.
- Drop the cinnamon filling by spoonfuls onto the cake batter.
- Take a butter knife and make swirly, marble-effect patterns all around the cake. Drag the knife through both the cinnamon and cake batter.
- Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes (it took about 40 minutes in my oven), until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
FOR THE GLAZE:
- Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl.
- Pour the glaze over the warm cake.
Video
Notes
- I think you could get away with only using one stick of butter in the cinnamon/sugar filling mixture. I think two sticks of butter makes this filling a tad heavy and therefore, it likes to sink to the bottom a bit while baking.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: March 2012
Updated & republished: March 2020
Jennifer H
Absolutely Delicious!!!!!
I made this last night for a dinner group.
Everyone raved over how good it was, and everyone asked for the recipe!!
I’m still thinking about it…
Do you think I could just the recipe in half for 2 of us?
Thank you so much Brandie!!!!
Every recipe of yours that I have made, has been really good!
Thank you!
Carrie Schreiber
We love this cake! It is delicious, and turns out perfect every single time!
Helena
Absolutely fantastic cinnamon cake, tastes so delicious my whole family loves it including my 2 little picky eaters
Wendy
So delicious! I actually cut the cake recipe in half but accidentally forgot to half the cinnamon paste. I also completely melted the butter before mixing with the sugar & cinnamon …
I honestly didn’t think it would turn out but it was amazing. Oh yeah I didn’t frost it because of the extra sugar & cinnamon paste.
We all loved it. So moist. Will be making it again for sure.
Erica
Can this also be made in a bundt pan? Would the measurements remain the same?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Erica, no unfortunately this wouldn't turn out well in a bundt pan. I'm sorry!
Sonia Waye
Absolutely beautiful ❤️ love every bit of this recipe
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Wonderful! Thank you so much Sonia!!
MICHAEL VANDEBERG
very good cake
Anne
Really good recipe and easy to whip up last minute!
Lori
Well Brandie, you did it again. This is to die for! The cake was so fluffy and the topping divine . I made it for a man who was missing his mother’s cinnamon rolls.. it was a hit! Of course I knew it would be. I haven’t tried any of your recipes that weren’t. Keep it up, girl!!
Janelle Fulton
Made this last night and it is delicious! The only issue I had is that the cinnamon filling didn’t swirl when I tried to mix it around with the butter knife. It was kind of thick so I just cut it up a bit to mix it around the cake. Didn’t seem to affect the taste but I didn’t get the pretty swirl look I was hoping for. Do you think I could use melted butter in the cinnamon filling as well? I’m thinking maybe if it’s a little more liquidy, I would be able to do the swirl.
Lizzie
fun and easy recipe and the cake turned out amazing
V Byrd
This looks absolutely scrumptious! I do make cinnamon rolls, but a cinnamon roll cake is the best of both worlds. I would like to add raisins. Would I need to make any adjustments to this recipe? I look forward to making this cake TONIGHT!
Skye C.
omg this recipe was amazing! I saw it on Pinterest and had to try it! It is the best thing I've ever made and it is so awesome! totally would try it
Martha in KS
I made using 1/2 of a yellow cake mix, and halved all other ingredients. Put in a 7" springform pan. Baked in my air fryer at 350 for 25 minutes. Delicious!
Kristi
I made this for the second time!!! Absolutely delicious!!
Jennie
I make this cake all the time! It’s such a hit and never disappoints!
Tabitha McKinnon
I just made this and it was AMAZING! I cannot wait to go somewhere and take this. Thank you for this delicious recipe!!!
Aubrey
So if I up the amount of servings, wouldn’t I have to use a larger pan?