Cinnamon Roll Cake

A simple cake batter, a cinnamon swirl, and a cream cheese frosting come together in this delicious cinnamon roll cake. Get all the flavors of your classic breakfast favorite in a fraction of the time!

We are finally all back to our routine. My oldest son is back in school, we’re through the holidays and winter break, and I can go back to work.

So obviously that means it’s cake time! Cinnamon roll cake, to be exact.

Because I love cinnamon rolls, but I don’t always like how long they take. (Although I love making cinnamon rolls with cream as a shortcut!)

But this cake? It has all the amazing flavors of that famous breakfast pastry with no rising time.

Bake, frost and eat. It’s absolutely one of my new favorite recipes.

WHAT IS CINNAMON ROLL CAKE?

Cinnamon Roll Cake is a moist and delicious coffee cake that packs in all the flavors of classic cinnamon rolls.

The cake is made from a simple batter that contains brown butter and sour cream. It’s not super sweet, which balances out perfectly with the swirl of cinnamon that runs throughout the cake.

It’s all topped with a cream cheese frosting, just like your favorite cinnamon rolls. Except, unlike your favorite cinnamon rolls, you don’t have to waste time letting this cake rise or make a mess shaping anything before it goes in the oven.

I guess what I’m saying is that this cake is everything you love about cinnamon rolls and none of the things you don’t. That’s a real win, right??

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

Like many of my coffee cake recipes – including Pumpkin Coffee Cake and Apple Cake – this recipe has a few different components but still comes together easily with minimal effort.

Ingredients you will need

There are 3 parts to this recipe: the cake batter, the cinnamon swirl, and the cream cheese frosting. So the ingredient list on the recipe card seems long, but there are actually some overlapping ingredients.

For all parts of this cinnamon roll cake, you will need:

• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups salted butter, browned and cooled
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature (not browned)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plus 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Just like with traditional cinnamon rolls, pretty much all you need is a pantry or refrigerator, so there’s a good chance you already have most of what you need!

Useful resources

• Before you get started, make sure you know the basics of measuring flour correctly. This will put you on the right path to a perfect cinnamon roll!
• Most of the butter in this cake is browned before using it. I have an entire post dedicated to teaching you how to brown butter—it’s a simple trick that you’ll love to use again and again.
• If you’re out of brown sugar, don’t panic. You can make a simple brown sugar substitute instead.
• If your brown sugar has hardened in the pantry, learn a few tricks to soften it and save yourself a trip to the store.
• I never remember to buy icing sugar and I always run out! Luckily, it’s easy to make a powdered sugar substitute that we can use instead.

Make this cake

Start by making the cake dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set this aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the browned butter and granulated sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the milk, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until no lumps remain, then pour the dough into a greased 13×9-inch pan. Set the pan aside while you swirl the cinnamon.

In a bowl, whisk together the browned butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Add spoonfuls of this mixture all over the surface of the batter, then use a butter knife or chopstick to swirl it around.

This is a really fun step that my kids love to help with!

Now bake the cake for about 40 minutes. Once baked, let it cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the icing.

For the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the icing sugar, milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes. Spread the icing on the warm cake and enjoy your meal.

STORAGE TIPS

If using cream cheese frosting, store the cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to return to room temperature before serving or heat the slices for about 30 seconds in the microwave.

If you use regular icing sugar, you can store the cake at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze cinnamon cake slices, follow my instructions on how to freeze cake: Wrap the slices in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top bag. To enjoy, unwrap and place in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to thaw and reheat.

Frequent questions

I don’t like cream cheese. Is there another nail polish I can use?

Absolutely! If cream cheese frosting isn’t your favorite cinnamon roll frosting, I’ve got you covered. Use my overnight cinnamon roll frosting instead!

I don’t have salted butter. Can I use unsalted butter instead?

This cake can be quite sweet, so I like to use salted butter to balance the flavors. If you only have unsalted butter on hand, add about ¼ teaspoon salt to both the cake batter and the cinnamon swirl.

Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream in cinnamon roll dough?

YES! I prefer to use plain Greek yogurt when baking, but plain plain yogurt will work great for this cinnamon roll too.