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Our easy Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe has all of the flavors of a cinnamon roll but without all the work! It's a crowd pleaser and great for lunch or dessert.
Any occasion is worthy of Cinnamon Roll Cake
Any occasion is worthy of Cinnamon Roll Cake It's easy enough to make anytime, and as much as I love traditional cinnamon rolls, these have that great flavor without the rising, rolling and overall time commitment. It's appropriate for breakfast or a mouthwatering dessert. I love making it for holidays, baby showers, or any special occasion.
Check out all of my cake recipes like Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Orange Olive Oil Cake, or Fresh Apple Cake!
Ingredients Needed:
How to make a Cinnamon Roll Cake:
Make Batter: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the melted butter then pour into greased 8×8 baking dish.
Cinnamon Swirl Topping: Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Drop small spoonfuls of the cinnamon swirl topping evenly over the top of the batter. Using a knife, swirl through the cake to disperse it throughout the batter.
Bake: Place in oven at 350°F for 32-37 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Make cream cheese frosting and drizzle on top of warm cake. Enjoy this homemade cinnamon roll cake with a fresh fruit salad or strawberry banana smoothie.
Storing and Freezing Instructions:
To store: Cinnamon roll cake is best served the day it's made. It will dry out the longer it sits, just like regular cinnamon rolls. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
To Freeze: Cover frosted cake with a double layer of aluminum foil or lid, and freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. If desired, rewarm slices in the microwave on half power.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
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Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , or cake flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter , melted
Cinnamon Swirl:
- 1/2 cup butter , softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter , softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8'' baking dish.
- Cake Batter: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, egg and vanilla. Stir in melted butter. Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Cinnamon Swirl: Combine ½ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon flour, and 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, mixing until smooth.
- Swirl into cake: Drop small spoonfuls of the mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter. Use a knife to swirl through the cake and disperse the mixture throughout the cake batter.
- Bake 30-37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Drizzle cream cheese frosting over warm cake. Serve warm.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a smooth, soft frosting. Drizzle frosting over the cake with a spoon, or use a ziplock bag and snip a hole out of one of the corners to pipe the frosting on.
- Serve: This cake is best served warm from the oven, the same day it's made.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated August 2020 and December 2024.
Would this work in a round 9″ pan?
Yes, that’s fine!
Seems like a great recipe! Would there a be a huge difference using cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Not huge–cake flour should work fine.
This cake was very tasty in my option. My other half thought it was a little on the dense side so if I made it again I would think of adding another egg to the batter. I like the cinnamon swirls and made my own butter and cream cheese frosting then dusted with cocoa powder. Thank you as I feel this cake is quite tasty and very easy to make. I made in a normal round spring from pan.
Yummy
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9×13 pan. It turned out great. I did not double the frosting recipe and it eas plenty. I took it to celebrate our 54 wedding anniversary with friends.
I made this yesterday. Had to use a pie plate to bake it in. We just moved and I do not have all my baking pans yet. No worries the pie plate worked fine. Followed recipe exactly. As I suspected it, it is sweet but then again its going to be. The family enjoyed and I will keep the recipe.
Made this today and my family really enjoyed it…I added it to my “keeper” recipes and nothing makes it there unless everyone loves it! Thanks for sharing it and btw, the steps were super easy to follow!!!
??
I’m really happy to hear it made the cut! Thanks for sharing Traci!
Made this cake recently and it was so good! It really tasted like a cinnamon roll, plus the frosting was so delicious! It was super easy to make and one of the fastest cakes I’ve made!
Can this cake batter be mixed up ahead of time? I’d like to serve this on Christmas morning gathering at my daughter’s house and won’t have a lot of time to prepare in the morning. Could it be mixed up the day before and baked in the morning.
Hi Karen,
I think your better option is to bake the cake, let it cool completely and store it in the fridge until the next morning. At that point you could warm it slightly if you would like!
How should I put pecans in this cake?
Thank you
Chop them small and add 1/2-1 cup to the cake batter before pouring it into the pan.
Can this be doubled and made into a layer cake? Or will the batter be too heavy?
I’ve never tried that, but I think another commenter did with success.
Can I bake this in an 8 inch round?
Yes, but the volume of batter will probably be more than you need. Fill 8″ at least 3/4 full, maybe you could make a few cupcakes if you have extra batter.