Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe

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If you’re looking for a moist and dense coffee cake that provides all the classic flavors of cinnamon rolls in coffee cake form, this easy Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe is for you.

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake has all the wonderful ooey-gooey goodness of homemade cinnamon rolls without all the work!

This 9×13 cinnamon-swirl cake is the next best thing to warm cinnamon rolls and is much quicker to make.

It’s not super sweet (like most coffee cakes) but it’s very moist with lots of cinnamon-swirl throughout the cake and on the bottom of the pan.

If you opt to serve this cake warm, know that it is crumbly and will totally fall apart. It’s still quite delicious but the presentation goes out the window when you serve it warm. Use a large serving spoon instead of trying to cut the warm cake with a knife.

My boys always used to get a giant homemade cinnamon roll on their birthday plate (served in bed, no less) on the morning of their birthday each year….they loved it. This always included a big candle and singing as a fun way to wake them up on their special day. I still remember their sleepy smiles.

Because cinnamon rolls are so popular around here, one of my sons even offered up a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls to clench the deal of the purchase of a dark green 1995 Ford F250 pickup. True story….and it worked! 🙂

Ingredients needed to make Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe

Cake Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Large eggs
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• Melted butter: I used unsalted butter. If you forgot to let the butter soften on the counter ahead of time, you can use the defrost setting on your microwave to soften the butter in 20 second increments.  
• Granulated sugar
• Dark brown sugar: Feel free to substitute light brown sugar.
• Ground cinnamon
• Baking powder: Make sure to check the expiration date. If baking powder isn’t fresh, it can cause you cake to fall…so disappointing.
• Kosher salt: Substitute half as much table salt if you are using that.

Glaze Ingredients

• Milk: May substitute half and half or even whipping cream.
• Powdered sugar
• Kosher salt
• Vanilla extract: To switch the icing up a bit, substitute a combination of half vanilla extract and half almond extract.

How to make Cinnamon Roll cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, combine all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed, being careful not to overmix the batter.

Pour the prepared cake batter into a greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.

Prepare the cinnamon swirl by combining the softened butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.

Dollop twelve equal spoonfuls of the prepared cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the cake batter.

Using a butter knife, swirl the dollops of cinnamon swirl into the batter.

Bake the cake, uncovered, on the center oven rack for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze in a medium mixing bowl. Place the powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl, adding the milk a little until the glaze reaches the desired consistency, beating until smooth.

Let the cake cool for 30 minutes, then drizzle the prepared glaze over the still-warm cake’s top, spreading it evenly over the surface with a spatula.

Cake is easiest to serve in squares if it is allowed to cool completely before slicing it. If served warm, the cake is easiest to serve by scooping it from the pan with a large serving spoon.

Can I substitute a box cake mix?

Unfortunately not. I was hoping for just that but when I tried it, the recipe failed.

I think the cake mix batter isn’t quite dense enough to hold up the cinnamon swirl dollops that are added to the batter before baking.

How to store Cinnamon Roll Cake

You can store cinnamon roll cake at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze this cake?

Cinnamon Roll Cake freezes like a champ! Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, placing each one into a freezer storage bag.

To enjoy, unwrap as many as you need and microwave for 30-40 seconds or until thawed and slightly warm throughout.

What to serve with cinnamon roll cake

I’m typically serving this cake for breakfast or brunch and I’ve found that it’s nice to have a yogurt and fruit to go along with it on the side.

Did you know you can make Instant Pot Yogurt very economically and it’s absolutely delicious?

Oven-baked bacon pairs great with cinnamon roll cake as do breakfast meatballs.

More favorite cake recipes

Super Moist Caramel Apple Cake recipe makes the most moist, tender, and deliciously dense cake dripping with caramel sauce. It’s the perfect Autumn treat.

Honey bun cake is a moist breakfast cake made with yellow cake mix, cinnamon, sugar, and pecans, and smothered with a powdered sugar glaze. It’s our all-time favorite coffee cake!

Farmer’s daughter cake is a simple 8-inch square vanilla cake topped coated in chocolate frosting. 

Other Cinnamon Roll Recipes

If you’re on Tik Tok, you’ve probably seen the viral cinnamon rolls made with heavy cream – boy, are they luscious.

And did you know you can make the heavy cream cinnamon rolls using frozen cinnamon rolls? It works like a charm.

Right now I’m kind of hooked on Hawaiian roll cinnamon rolls since I don’t have to feel too guilty about eating one. They are smaller in size, just perfect with a cup of coffee!