Cinnamon roll cake

Fluffy and tender vanilla cake batter, swirled with cinnamon butter which is gooey and rich. Toped with a cream cheese glaze that makes for the perfect cinnamon roll but in cake form.

If you are new to my blog, know this: I am a lover of cinnamon rolls, to the point I have made so many variations of the classic baked good. So it seemed only fitting that I take those flavors and put it into a cake. This dessert is one of those recipes for beginner bakers who want o try their hand at making something simple, vey delicious and not to fussy on the ingredients. It does not demand much from you but delivers 10/10 with flavor, texture and overall aesthetic appeal as well.

This is one of those cakes that are the perfect breakfast morning recipe on a sunday or a brunch dessert on Saturday morning. It comes together so simply and with minimal effort you don’t need a lot to bake it. The cake feeds a crowd easily and also doubles down as a travel friendly picnic treat that can be baked the day before. You can also bake it in those throw away foil containers to make travel easy. As we cut and serve the cake in the baking tray it makes for a very convenient sharing dessert. So let us get to it.

What are cinnamon rolls? What’s the difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns?

Cinnamon rolls are a sweet pastry made with a buttery brioche like bread dough that is layered with a cinnamon butter, rolled into a log and cut into pieces before baking. Commonly it is frosted with a cream cheese frosting or a simple glaze/icing. A cinnamon rolls is thinner than a cinnamon bun. Also, cinnamon rolls are mostly baked individually but cinnamon buns are baked in a way that they are pull apart – this not a fact before you come for me but I have read it in a few blogs. To be honest the ingredients are the same and the filling is the same as well.the method of making the sweet treat doesn’t change.

What is a cinnamon roll cake?

Cinnamon roll cake is basically a tender and fluffy vanilla cake swirled with cinnamon butter and baked until golden. Topped with a cream cheese glaze like classic cinnamon rolls. It has the flavors of a cinnamon roll but the textures of a tea cake. It is soft and moist but the cinnamon butter swirl is gooey and the glaze makes everything sticky, indulgent and perfectly sweet.

What ingredients are needed to make this cinnamon roll cake?

For the cake batter we need all purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt, castor sugar, egg, milk, good vanilla, butter that is melted. If you would like to make this cake gluten free use a gluten free flour mix cup for cup measure. To keep this cake eggless use 1/4 cup greek yogurt in place of the egg or use a flaxseed egg. If you want this cake to be lactose free use a dairy free and neutral flavored milk and butter.

For the cinnamon swirl we need butter, brown sugar and cinnamon powder. When it comes to cinnamon powder, if it is a little old and stale, I like to dry roast it on the lowest heat possible or heat the pan and turn off the flame, allow the powder to bloom in the residual heat, this wakes up the cinnamon and makes the powder taste even better. You cannot skip the brown sugar here hence I wouldn’t suggest any substitute.

For the glaze we need cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk. You could leave the cream cheese out and make a regular glaze with powdered sugar added milk. A little vanilla in this also adds a depth of flavor to the glaze. I like topping the cake with flaky sea salt as well to balance out the sweet flavors.

What equipment is needed to make this cinnamon roll cake?

To make the cake batter I have used a large mixing bowl and whisk. It is baked in an 8×8 inch square tin that is lined with baking paper. You will need a brush to line the sides with butter as well. For the swirl we need a fork and mixing bowl to bring the ingredients together. To make the glaze we need a mixing bowl and whisk. The cake is baked in the oven and cooled in the tin itself.

Pro tips to make this cinnamon roll cake perfect every time:

It is good to make the swirl first and let is firm up in the fridge while you make the cake as it gets swirled better if you are using melted butter. Alternatively you can us soft butter and then you don’t need to refrigerate the cinnamon butter.
Do not over whisk the batter, once the butter is incorporated into it and its smooth, stop whisking. We don’t want a tough and dense cake.
Swirl the cinnamon butter into the cake batter using a butter knife or chopstick, do not over swirl or you will be left with a cinnamon cake.
Do not over bake this cake as it will continue to cool down in the tin you baked it in which has residual heat. The cinnamon butter areas might be gooey but there shouldn’t be raw batter when you poke the cake with a toothpick.
Allow the glaze to soak into the cake while it is still warm to ensure the cake soaks up the glaze in the cracks.

Serving and storing this cinnamon roll cake?

This cake is best served wit a sprinkle of sea salt flakes on top and a glass of cold milk. You could also serve it with coffee but in all honesty I enjoy it on its own. Store the leftover slices in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or at room temperature for 2 days. When ready to eat I like warming it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until the glaze is little molten and the cake crumb is tender.

Looking for more tea cake recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this cinnamon roll cake recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.