Moist, dense cake is swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with vanilla icing in this Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe. It has all the flavor of a classic cinnamon roll, without nearly as much work. Have it for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert, and enjoy cinnamon roll flavors all day long.
This cinnamon roll cake recipe combines two of my favorite things – cinnamon rolls and cake. It features a tender, moist cake swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with an irresistible vanilla icing, just like you’d expect from a cinnamon roll. I’ve been making this for years, playing around with the amount of cinnamon, the thickness of the cake and the icing, to get it just right. The final cake is a winner.
If you love this cake as much as I do, be sure to check out my Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake too. You’ll thank me later!
Why This Is My Favorite Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe
- Sweet cinnamon sugar swirl. There’s also plenty of cinnamon sugar swirl in every bite! My favorite part! The cinnamon sugar mixture actually covers the whole cake before baking and is swirled into the batter to ensure there’s a little bit in every bite.
- The perfect texture. The cake itself is just dense enough to hold the cinnamon mixture. It’s not necessarily dense, just not as fluffy as your average cake, which pairs nicely with the vanilla icing.
- Quick & easy. While it has the same great flavors as a classic cinnamon roll, this cake is way easier to make! The batter comes together in a few simple steps, then the cinnamon sugar is swirled on top. It can be ready to enjoy in just under an hour.
Ingredient Notes
Ready to get baking? Here’s a few notes about ingredients and substitutions. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact measurements.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar both work. Loosely packed into the measuring cup is perfect.
- Unsalted butter – I like to use unsalted butter so that I can control how much salt has been added. If you only have salted butter, just leave out the additional salt.
- Sour cream – Adds moisture and contributes to a thicker batter, so that the cinnamon filling doesn’t sink to the bottom during baking. If you need to, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt. But I do recommend sticking with sour cream if you can.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
- All-purpose flour – I highly recommend using a food scale to weigh the flour, since too much can easily make this cake too dry and dense. If you don’t have one, the spoon and level technique from my post on how to properly measure flour will also work.
- Salt – Brings out the flavors already present in the cake.
- Honey or Corn syrup – Helps make the icing soft, spreadable and a bit glossy.
- Powdered sugar – Helps to thicken the icing. I recommend sifting it first to avoid any lumps.
Tips for Success
This cinnamon roll snack cake is incredibly easy to make, but there are still a few important things to keep in mind.
- Fully cream the ingredients. It takes about 2-3 minutes for the butter and sugar to cream fully. Don’t skimp on this time. Wait to notice a visible change in the color and texture of the mixture.
- Scrape down the bowl. Take a second to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each ingredient addition. This helps ensure the batter is thoroughly and evenly combined.
- Swirl the cinnamon mixture. While you don’t always see a big difference before it goes in the oven, the cinnamon sugar will fall into the areas swirled by the toothpick, ensuring that there’s cinnamon throughout the cake – not just on top.
- Adjust the icing consistency. After you whisk in the powdered sugar and let the icing cool a bit, you can adjust the texture if needed. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water. If it’s too thin, add a small amount of powdered sugar.
- Enjoy warm. For the best experience, enjoy this cinnamon roll snack cake is best enjoyed while still warm. If it’s cooled completely to room temperature, just pop the individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
How To Store Leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftover cinnamon roll cake in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep it in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
- Reheat: I recommend warming individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or so – just long enough to warm them up without melting the icing.
Watch How To Make It
Cinnamon Roll Snack Cake
This Cinnamon Roll Snack Cake is a soft, gooey cinnamon roll in cake form! It’s full of cinnamon, covered in icing and best served warm with a fresh glass of milk!
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Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1 cup (144g) brown sugar (loosely packed)
- 4-5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter (melted)
Cake
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (154g | 11 tbsp) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup (207g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (86g) sour cream
- ½ cup (120ml) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Icing
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (104g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey (or corn syrup)
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar (sifted)
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and grease a 9×13 inch cake pan.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- To make the cinnamon filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
- Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Set aside.
- To make the cake batter, combine the sugar and butter to a large mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Don’t skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the sour cream and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the milk and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Drizzle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the cake. It will cover most of the top of the cake.
- Use a toothpick to swirl the cinnamon mixture around. You may not notice a difference immediately, but the swirls are where the cinnamon mixture will fall down into the cake while baking.
- Bake the cake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs, then remove from the oven to cool while you make the icing.
Make the icing
- Combine all the icing ingredients except for the powdered sugar in a small sauce pan.
- Heat on low heat until the sugar is melted, then turn heat to medium to bring to a boil.
- Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and immediately pour into a heat-proof glass bowl.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar and allow to cool slightly and thicken. If you find your icing to be a little thick, just add a touch more water to thin it back out. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Pour the icing evenly over the cake. Serve warm. If some cake is left over, store covered in the fridge. Warm up leftover slices for about 15 seconds.
Nutrition
Calories: 715kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 6gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 300mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 2gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 1058IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 2mg
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Enjoy!
Categories:
Cakes and Cupcakes, Christmas, Easter, Holidays, Recipes, Recipes with video, Sweets and Treats,
Hi what’s the substitute for corn syrup
Thank you,
Shraddha
The recipe says honey or corn syrup.
I tried to make this today but ran into a problem. The butter and sugar creamed OK, but as soon as I added the milk it looked like cottage cheese and never got creamy again. I decided to add the eggs and vanilla hoping something would change but it still looked like cottage cheese and was runny. Any suggestions?
Did you add the sour cream first? Adding that much milk right to the butter/sugar would create that kind of consistency, but adding the sour cream first helps.