Cinnamon Roll Cake

If there’s one breakfast treat we can’t get enough of, it just has to be cinnamon rolls. Whether we’re twisting them into snacks, adding fruit for a spring-worthy dish, or simply shrinking them down into bite-sized delights, we just can’t get enough of the breakfast pastry that’s sweet enough to be a dessert.

So now, as we start to stare down the approach of winter, we’re thinking: “Go big or go home!” That’s right— we’re supersizing cinnamon rolls! And that means transforming it into a Cinnamon Roll Cake that’s perfect for sharing any time of day. Watch how it’s made, then read on for the full recipe.

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Cinnamon Roll Cake

Serves 8 to 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup buttermilk, brought to room temperature
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted (can substitute canola or vegetable oil, if desired)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Topping

  • ⅓ cup butter, melted
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Prepare a 9-inch cake pan or a deep 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray, or with butter and flour.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups of flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the egg, sugar, buttermilk, melted coconut oil and the (optional teaspoon of) vanilla extract.
  4. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the flour mixture and mix until combined.
  5. Spread the cake batter into the prepared 9-inch cake pan and set aside while you make the topping.
  6. In a mixing bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, tablespoon of flour and ground cinnamon until combined.
  7. Using a spoon, drizzle half of the topping in a circular pattern over the top of the cake in a cinnamon roll swirl pattern. Set the other half aside for now.
  8. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake near the center comes out mostly clean.
  9. Again using a spoon, drizzle the remaining half of the topping over the cake to fill in the crevices that have formed during the initial baking.
  10. Return the cake to the oven and finish baking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.
  11. Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk and teaspoon of vanilla extract together with a whisk. If needed, adjust the consistency by adding more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze reaches the desired consistency.
  12. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the warm cake.
  13. Serve the completed cake warm or at room temperature.


See how delicious and delightful that is? It’s perfect for a sweet start to the day, or as an indulgent treat to enjoy at the end of the day.

Our favorite part? How that topping creates crevices in the cake as it bakes! The cinnamon infuses every single part of the cake, while still creating a picture-perfect swirl on top. Pretty to look at it, and fantastic to eat!

But don’t just take our word for it— try it yourself! Do you think you will? Have you ever made a Cinnamon Roll Cake like this one before, or any other version of a giant cinnamon roll? What other flavors do you think could work with this recipe? Let us know if you give it a try and how it turns out for you!

Recipe adapted from Crunchy Creamy Sweet