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This easy Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe is everything you love about a cinnamon roll, but without all of the work! You’ll be sharing this recipe will all of your family and friends! They will be impressed that you made this from scratch.

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Overview of the cinnamon roll cake in a glass pan with the glaze drizzled on top of it.

Best Coffee Cake Recipe:

This Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake Recipe is so easy to make. It is loaded with so much goodness that you get from a traditional cinnamon roll without all the work.

This is a fun twist to the traditional coffee cake recipe. Our go-to breakfast for holiday, birthdays or just because. This cinnamon top and glaze cinnamon cake is sure to please a crowd.

If you like this recipe, you might also like our Easy Cinnamon Bundt Cake Recipe.

A piece of the cinnamon roll cake on a white plate with a fork next to it with a cup of coffee.

Try this Coffee cake recipe today!

You are going to love this fun twist to a traditional coffee cake recipe. You can eat it with breakfast since it has the words ‘cinnamon roll’ in the title. But I love cake anytime time of the day.

This also makes a good dessert after other meals if you can’t bring yourself to eat ‘cake’ with breakfast. Either way, this is a moist and delicious cake.

My favorite way to enjoy this cake is in the morning is with a nice cup of coffee! It is just taste better with coffee.

A piece of the cinnamon roll cake on a white plate with a fork with the rest of the cake in the back ground.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Cake

If you love cinnamon rolls, get ready for your life to be changed! This recipe is a new family favorite and is requested over and over again! There is no denying that we love cinnamon rolls around here, but boy are they a lot of work. Especially when you’re cooking for a large family.

With this cinnamon roll cake, there is no waiting for the dough to rise, rolling it out, spreading it with the cinnamon mixture, rolling again, cutting the cinnamon rolls, then finally baking them. 

Homemade cinnamon roll cake is made from scratch, but it is so easy that it will be ready to enjoy in about 45 minutes! I’ve been in a pinch before and substituted a boxed cake mix. It tasted good, though it definitely wasn’t homemade.

Overview of the cinnamon roll cake in a glass pan with the glaze drizzled on top of it with a piece being served out of it.

Ingredients you need:

Do you ever look at a recipe and when you see a long list of ingredients you look for something else? This list may be long but I bet you have the majority of these in your pantry right now.

A lot of recipes call for cake mix, or a tube of cinnamon rolls. But when I figured out that all I really needed was flour and baking powder and few other ingredients I can make my own cake.

Ingredients For the Cake:

  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Baking Powder
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • Melted Butter

For the Cinnamon Topping:

  • Butter, melted
  • Brown sugar
  • Flour
  • Cinnamon

For the Glaze:

  • Powdered Sugar
  • Milk
  • Vanilla
A piece of the cinnamon roll cake on a white plate with a fork with another piece on a plate in the back ground.

How to make this easy Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray.
  • Batter – In a large bowl, mix everything, including the dry ingredients, together for the ingredients of the cake. I like using my stand mixer.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan.
  • Streusel Topping – For the streusel topping, mix all of the ingredients well in a small bowl.
  • Cinnamon Swirls – Drop spoonfuls of topping on the remaining batter and then swirl it around with a knife. If your topping isn’t runny, you can still swirl it around and it will still taste great!
4 photos showing how to make the cake.  The 1st photo shows the cake batter being mixed in a bowl.  The 2nd photos shows the cake batter in a pan.  The 3rd photo shows the topping being mixed in a bowl and the 4th photo shows the topping being swirled into the cake batter
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted or knife comes out clean.
  • Your cake will come out light and fluffy.
  • Drizzle glaze over warm cake. (You can reduce the glaze and the cake would still be yummy.)

How do I tell when cake is done?

The easiest way to figure out when the cinnamon roll cake is done by inserting a knife in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean then you can is done.

We love serving the cake warm. The warm and gooey brown sugar makes this cake irresistible!

Can you make this in a Bundt pan?

I love making cakes in a Bundt pan. They just come out so pretty and perfect to put on a cake stand. This cinnamon cake recipe works perfectly baking in a Bundt pan.

You would pour half of your batter in the greased and flour pan, then swirl in your cinnamon topping. Then pour in the in the remaining batter.

Bake for 30-45 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Then you cake is ready to glaze.

A collage of 2 photos.  The 1st photo is an overview after the cake has been baked.  The second photo is the baked cake with the glaze drizzled over the top of it.

Can I substitute with a boxed cake mix?

If you would rather use a boxed cake mix instead of making your own, you can absolutely use a boxed cake mix instead. You will need a white cake mix and all of the ingredients the instructions call for.

Simply mix the cake mix up according to the package directions, then mix up the cinnamon mixture and the glaze following the recipe below. Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan and drop the cinnamon filling by spoonfuls on the top. Using a knife, swirl the cinnamon filling into the cake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Spread the glaze on top of the cake while it is still warm.

This cake is ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes!

Can I add nuts to my cake?

Yes! Nut added to this recipe would be amazing. You can mix them in while mixing the batter or you can just sprinkle ½ of a cup on top.

My husband doesn’t really like the nuts in this cinnamon roll cake, but I do. So I just sprinkle on half of the cake and it works our perfectly.

A close up of the cinnamon roll cake on a white plate

Does Cinnamon Roll Cake need to be refrigerated?

Yes, I would refrigerate the leftovers by covering with plastic wrap. Then when you are ready for a piece, just reheat in the microwave. I like to put a little butter on top and have it melt within the cake.

You can also make this cake ahead of time. Just make the cake the day before and then the next day, reheat in the oven. Then it is ready to glaze.

Cinnamon Cake Tips + Tricks:

  • When swirling the cinnamon mixture into the cake, make sure you push the knife all of the way to the bottom of the pan so that you get the cinnamon swirl mixture infused through the whole cake.
  • We usually devour this cake as soon as it is glazed and ready, but if you need to make this ahead of time you can certainly do so! I wouldn’t bake the cake any more than 24 hours in advance and don’t glaze it until you need it. When you’re ready to serve the cake, warm the cake up and top with the glaze while the cake is still warm.
  • While most cake recipes want you to wait until the cake is cool to put on the icing or glaze, this one works best if the cake is still warm. The glaze melts right into the cake and makes it taste just like warm cinnamon rolls!
  • This cake is perfect for freezing in individual servings so you don’t eat the whole pan at once! Once the cake is cooled, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil for up to 3 months. When you want a quick slice, unwrap, and warm up in the microwave. Enjoy this warm cinnamon cake with a cup of coffee.
A close up of the cinnamon roll cake on a white plate with a cup of coffee behind it.

Print this Coffee Cake recipe below:

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Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe

4.84 from 175 votes
Here is a fun twist on a coffee cake recipe. This easy cinnamon roll cake recipe is the best. Get the taste of homemade cinnamon rolls without all the work.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Calories 353
Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/3 cup melted butter

Topping:

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick spray.

Cake:

  • In a large bowl, mix everything together for the ingredients of the cake.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan.
  • For the topping, mix all of the ingredients well in a small bowl.
  • Drop spoonfuls of topping on the batter and then swirl it with a knife.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
  • Drizzle glaze over warm cake. (You can reduce the glaze and the cake would still be yummy.)

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Serving 6Ounces, Calories 353kcal, Carbohydrates 59g, Protein 5g, Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 6g, Cholesterol 54mg, Sodium 155mg, Potassium 230mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 32g, Vitamin A 365IU, Calcium 118mg, Iron 1.9mg

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Here is a fun twist on a coffee cake recipe. This easy cinnamon roll cake recipe is the best and easy to make too! Get the taste of homemade cinnamon rolls without all the work with this easy cinnamon roll cake recipe! #eatingonadime #cakerecipes #breakfastrecipes #cinnamonrecipes
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Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This cake is amazing! Made it exactly as described, and three of us loved it. It’s perfect. A wonderful cinnamon-y cake with just the right amount of glaze that isn’t overly cloying. We love it warmed for 20 seconds before eating, just like we would with a cinnamon roll. Thank you for such an easy crowd pleaser!

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