Cinnamon Roll Cake
This cinnamon roll cake is fabulous! An easy one-bowl, fluffy vanilla cake is swirled with cinnamon and sugar and glazed warm from the oven. So yummy!
I don’t know if there is a cake quite as delicious as this craggy-topped cinnamon roll cake. Warm and cinnamony, it is divine served with a scoop if ice cream!
One Bowl Cake Batter
I know it might feel wrong in a hundred different ways to throw all the cake batter ingredients in a bowl at once, but just go with it, because it works!
There’s no need to cream the butter and sugar together separately. Everything goes in one bowl, and you end up with the fluffiest, softest cake ever.
Cake ingredients:
- flour
- sugar
- baking soda + baking powder + salt
- vanilla + eggs
- butter
- sour cream
Mix until the batter is mostly smooth. A few tiny lumps are ok, but there shouldn’t be any dry streaks remaining.
Cinnamon and Sugar Swirl
The soft cinnamon and sugar swirl is equal parts butter and brown sugar, plus a spoonful of flour and a delightful amount of ground cinnamon.
This mixture should be soft and spreadable so that it swirls easily into the cake batter.
Swirling Cinnamon Roll Cake
Dollop the buttery cinnamon sugar mixture by heaping spoonfuls over the cake batter.
Use a butter knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the top of the cake batter. Don’t dig the knife all the way to the bottom of the pan while swirling and don’t over mix.
Just swipe through the top of the batter once or twice to create generous loops of cinnamon and sugar.
It is normal for *some* of the cinnamon sugar mixture to sink while baking. There will still be delightful ribbons of cinnamon running throughout the cake. However, to prevent *all* the cinnamon mixture sinking to the bottom, make sure the butter in the cinnamon/sugar mixture is really soft. Also, as mentioned above, only swirl through the top part of the cake batter (and don’t over do it!).
Glaze the Cake While Warm
Let the cake cool for just a few minutes after baking before spreading the glaze over the top.
As a finishing touch, the glaze sinks into the nooks and crannies of the warm, craggy-topped cake enhancing that delightful cinnamon roll vibe.
How to Serve Cinnamon Roll Cake
This cake is unbelievably delicious served warm or at room temperature.
It doesn’t need a lot of add-ons since it is wonderful served on its own, but if you want to level up just a bit, try a piece slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla (or cinnamon!) ice cream. 😍
I’ve been making this cake for years, and it is a family favorite. It has also saved me on more than one occasion when I needed a quick, showstopper dessert. One bowl cinnamon roll cake to the rescue!
Rave Reviews
Jamie: This was delicious!! I made it gluten-free with Grandpa’s Kitchen Flour and it turned out perfect. It was moist, flavorful, and soooo yummy.
Brenda: Delicious! My husband LOVES this cake! Tastes exactly like a cinnamon roll!
Elizabeth: Oh my goodness! I made this cake over the weekend and it was delicious! I love this type of breakfast cake/coffee cake/cinnamon-y cake and this may be the best I’ve tasted!
One Year Ago: 40+ Make Ahead Meals!
Two Years Ago: Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Three Years Ago: Glazed Poppy Seed Bread
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cups (302 g) light or regular sour cream
- ⅔ cup (151 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large eggs
Cinnamon Swirl:
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, very soft (but not melted)
- ¾ cup (159 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Glaze:
- 2 cups (228 g) powdered sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- For the cake, in a large bowl, combine all the cake batter ingredients and mix well. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- For the swirl, in a medium bowl, stir together the butter, light brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until well-mixed and smooth. Dollop the cinnamon swirl mixture by heaping spoonfuls over the cake batter.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the TOP of the cake batter (don't press the knife all the way to the bottom of the pan – swirl just into the top half of the cake batter). Try not to over swirl or over mix. A few generous loops through the batter should be just fine.
- Bake the cake for 30-32 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour the glaze evenly over the warm cake.
- Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.
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Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe Andreya L. sent me (used the cake recipe from my chocolate chip cake recipe, adapted glaze and cinnamon/sugar/butter mixture slightly from the recipe she sent) – thanks, Andreya!
Recipe posted September 2013; updated May 2023 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Unfortunately most of the cinnamon part ended up on the bottom and not swirled. I will not make again.
Delicious Cinnamon Roll cake.
Would this freeze? Curious if I could make ahead of time and just pop it in the refrigerator one day before to thaw, then bake to reheat, then ice?
I haven’t frozen this so I’m not sure but it’s worth a try (to freeze after it is baked and cooled). Good luck!
I made this recipe for my daughters baby blessing and oh my goodness, everyone went crazy. It was gone in minutes. I even saw someone scraping out the last bit of gooey goodness left over. Very yum
Made this last night and it was incredibly delicious! Mine did take several minutes longer to bake (probably between 40 and 45). I did bake it in a glass pan so maybe that contributed. And my oven probably runs a touch cooler than yours because most of your recipes take just a little longer in my oven. Also, I had some leftover cream cheese frosting in the fridge from your carrot cream cheese swirl bundt cake I made a couple weeks ago, so I used that instead of the glaze and it was super yummy.
I just finished making this tonight. It was so delicious. Light and moist. Right amount of sweet and cinnamon flavor. Thank you Mel! You are my go to for a dependable recipe!
Ros
SO YUMMY!!!!
This cake is fabulous! I get requests for it whenever I am asked to bring dessert anywhere! I have a brother who hates everything chocolate (he’s an anomaly but don’t worry, his wife and kids are normal) so this cake pleases everyone! Another knock-it-out-of-the-park recipe Mel!
Mmm, I made this last night and everyone loved it! And yes, like has been said multiple times, it is so soft and delicious the day after too! I left out at least 1/2 cup of sugar in the cake, as well as a few tablespoons of butter, and also used less butter and sugar in the cinnamon swirl and it was delicious, I’m glad I did! Thanks for such a yummy recipe!
Mel to the rescue again! I have been on the hunt for a recipe for a cinnamon roll cake ever since I bought a piece from an outdoor market in NYC. It looked quite unassuming, but was just about the best thing I’ve ever eaten. (I was dying to go back and demand they sell me any remaining inventory.) Seriously, my mouth waters just thinking about how good it was. I should have known to check here first. I am making this this weekend and CANNOT wait.
Made this for my family and everyone loved it! The cake was so soft!! Delicious.
Made this over the holidays. Wow! Absolutely delicious. I was looking through your recipes and found it. Thanks for another great one!
I have made this cake three times in the past month for various events and everyone loves it! Thank you so much for the recipe!
THIS CAKE IS AMAZING. Like, so delicious.
Do you think this would work well for cupcakes as well?
I’m not sure…I haven’t tried I but you could definitely experiment!
Love, love this cake, it was delicious. However, the middle of the cake caved in and the sides were higher all around the cake, I live in high altitude, at about 4,200 ft in northern Utah, do you know if this is an altitude thing and how I can remedy this?
Hi Bev – yes, it could possibly be an altitude thing. You might try adding a few more tablespoons flour to the batter and see if that helps.
Hi Mel!
I have to make a breakfast for a PTO meeting next Friday morning and was thinking either cinnamon rolls or a cheese Danish (I have an amazing recipe that make on a sheet pan then cut). Do you think this would work as an actual breakfast item?
Hey Jessica – I’m sure you could use this as a breakfast, but in my personal opinion, it’s definitely a cake-cake. Like, pretty sweet. Having said that, I’m sure there are people that make coffee cake type breakfast cakes that are just as sweet. I’m sure no one would turn it down, even for breakfast!
Hi Mel! Looking forward to making this. I think I know the answer but wanted to confirm. Did you use a metal baking pan for this (as you usually do)? I don’t use my glass Pyrex pan for baking but am wondering if the buttery cinnamon swirl will wreak havoc on my metal pan? Thanks!
I use a metal pan – I grease it pretty well and sometimes line with foil to help
This cake was amazing Mel! This is my only go to sight for deserts!! EVERYONE MAKE THIS CAKE YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.. TRUELY AMAZING
Hi Mel! I think I know your answer but want to confirm. Did you use a metal pan for this (as you usually do)? I never bake in my glass Pyrex but wondering if the cinnamon sugar mixture will wreak havoc on my metal pan. Looking forward to making this! Thanks!
BOMB, BOMB, BOMB ass cake! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I wanted to let you know that I made your cinnamon roll cake with gluten free flour from Betty Crocker and it came out great! (Betty Crocker gluten free flour is by the cake mix in my Safeway store and was the only gluten free flour available). I didn’t make any changes to the recipe and it came out the same as the cake made with unbleached white flour. I thought you might want to let your gluten free readers know or add it to your gluten free list.
Thanks for chiming in on this, Georgi!
Just wanted to thankyou for this amazing recipe! I have been making cinnamon buns for a while now for my kids and thought this looked yummy and easy ,so I tried it last night and soooooo glad I did absolutely beautiful!the only thing I did different was reduce the sugar in the cake to 3/4 cup rather than 1 1/2 .next time might even try 1/2 cup sugar
I’ve made this twice, and it’s incredibly yummy, but I find the swirling step really frustrating and much more difficult than it seems like it would be if I were doing it right! What am I doing wrong? I end up with a really fluffy cake batter, and a cinnamon swirl that would rather stay in dollops and doesn’t easily swirl. I can get it spread throughout pretty well, but it doesn’t look all cinnamon roll swirly like yours!
Hey Jen – maybe try over softening the butter (slightly melting) so that it’s easier to swirl. It’s not super pretty when I swirl it either. 🙂
Wow — this was sooo good! I agree with other commenters — it stays so moist for days after. I made it in two smaller pans (8×8) so I could share w/another family and that worked great. The only change I’d make next time is to line the bottom of the pan w/parchment paper because it really sticks to the bottom.
Oh my did the house smell fabulous! I had two small pans so instead of making them the same, I added some diced apple to one (because this is the midwest in the fall and it just seemed right lol) and left the other one as is…absolutely wonderful!! The apple broke up the sweetness a bit because me and hubby are not big on dessert but the allure of cinnamon roll cake was impossible to pass up! Thanks Mel again… Becoming a die hard fan 😉
Do you use salted or unsalted butter when baking?
Salted
I live in Costa Rica where good sweet rolls are hard to come by. I have been using package cake mixes as a base for a lot of the experimentation I do and will use a white Duncan Hines for this using the butter and sour cream. What I have been doing a lot of is using tropical fruits in my concoctions and was wondering if I could use orange in the glaze and use raisens soaked in orange juice in the cake. I’ll send you the results of whatever I do. Thanks for your help
Certainly worth a try – haven’t made it that way myself so you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
This is FANTASTIC!! I think its even better the day after, it stays so moist!! It reminds me of my husbands family recipe for Apple Roll, just minus the chunks of apple. We loved it and will definitely share with friends and family. Thanks Mel!
Mel, this was fantastic! My little sister chose this recipe for us to make together during my visit. My crazy large family all loved it! I posted about it here: http://beautifulmess46.blogspot.com/2014/05/where-weve-been-part-iv-and-recipe-for.html
Wow! I just made this for my family and it was amazing! Everybody is raving about it, saying it’s some of the best stuff they’ve every had. Thank you for the recipe!
I have made the original recipe and then this one, and this recipe by far is 100 times better. Thank you, this is definitely a winner!
Super yummy! My roommates were raving about this! Thanks for the great recipes.
I made this for a family get-together and everyone LOVED it! My only complaint was that the majority of the cinnamon swirl settled to the bottom of the pan. I wish it would have been a little more throughout the cake and on top.
Made it for a family get together…. BIG HIT! SO GOOD!
For anyone who might be wondering, I made this with whole wheat flour instead of regular (using just a tad less), and it was great! I also (because it’s what I had on hand) subbed plain yogurt for the sour cream, sucanat for the granulated sugar, and powdered sucanat for the powdered sugar. It was lovely!
Good morning Mel…this dessert is been one of my family most requested..
thanks so much….me and my husband we going to have two weeks vacaction…
first time with no kids, because now they are big and with diferent times in schools (21 and 16)..but i want to leave plenty of food in the freezer…can i frezee this dessert??
Marina – I haven’t frozen this so I’m not sure but it’s worth a try (to freeze after it is baked and cooled). Good luck!
This looks like the honey bun cake on betty crocker website. So delish!!
Have made this several times and like everyone in their comments above, absolutely love it. I have one question. Is this cake to be mixed by hand with a spoon or with the mixer. Today I used the mixer but think before when I made it, had mixed by hand. Haven’t tasted the one I just made (don’t know where the will power comes from), but the cinnamon swirling isn’t showing on top as it did when I mixed by hand. I will be searching your blog from now on for something good to make. Want to try those cinnamon roll cookies next!
Pat – I usually use my handheld mixer when making this cake. Hope you find other great recipes to try!
I made this for Christmas and it was a big hit! Thanks for the recipe!!
I need to go back and eat another piece… this recipe is great. Cake came out moist and full of flavor. This will become a regular!
WOW, this recipe is amazing! My son and Husband ate the whole cake in less than 48 hours!! This will be a staple in our house. Tomorrow I am going to try your cinnamon roll cookie! I am going to test it out as my Dad would LOVE them. Great blog!
I was craving a cinnamon spice cake and found this recipe while googling. I didn’t have sour cream so I substituted it with milk and fresh lemon juice. Turned out amazing!!!! Will be saving the hours usually spent on cinnamon rolls and make this instead. Wonderful!
This is insanely delicious! Words can’t describe how good and easy this is.
Oh my goodness!! I made this today for my 5 boys and they keep trying to come back for more! I have tried and tried to perfect cinnamon rolls and for some reason yeast and I are not friends, but no more! This is the easiest and tastiest answer! I am now the. best. baking. mom. ever….according to my boys! Thanks Mel!!
I made this the other night for a church get together and it was a hit! So so nice and it made our house smell amazing while it was baking 🙂
I have a few problems with this cake. The cinnamon mixture was too thick to properly swirl and therefore you tend to overswirl it. Which produces the bottom of cinnamon gooeyness that some like. I kinda wanted it throughout the cake more than at the bottom.
Also, I think the sugar and the butter should be creamed together first since adding any other cold liquid to the butter makes it lump (solidify) and you can’t mix it good.
I didn’t like how too sweet it was, but I think it was because I like my C.R.’s icing to be cream cheese so it would take the edge off. I was tempted to use my own icing but let it be.
The kids loved it and the coworkers described it as: “OMG it’s like an orgasm in my mouth.”
You knocked this one outta the park!
Mel, my family and I love this recipe. My son is not a cake lover (and of course I like to make big cakes with fondant and fillings 🙂 ), but this cake is one that he requests. He even wants me to make it for his birthday this Friday. Of course I do not mind since it is melt in your mouth deliciousness!! 🙂 Thank you for this recipe. 🙂
In some African countries, it is an old custom for two women to marry each other for business purposes. These relationships are not sexual; it is a practice of heterosexual women for practical concerns. Will you be my non-sexual wife? Because that is how much I LOVE your recipes! I made both types of your cinnamon rolls on the same day (to compare the two), and while I was unable to determine a favorite, I was able to determine that both were absolutely delicious! I sent them to work with my husband, and his co-workers said I should sell the cinnamon rolls. They thought it would make me wealthy. I am certain it would be more likely to make me fat. Anyway, thank you so much for all the work you do to share these delicious recipes. Next, I am going to make this cinnamon roll cake and your oreo cheesecake bites, as well as your lemon bars and buttermilk lime bars. You’re the best!
Thinking this would be divine with a little pumpkin added to the mix!
There are simply no words to describe this cake that can do it justice. Amazing flavor and texture. Butter coma. Unsafe for me to be in the house alone with the cake. You get the idea. (Only substitution I made was vanilla yogurt for sour cream, just because I had it on hand. A little extra sweetness was ok with me!)